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| Charedi protestors near Bnei Brak (Times of Israel) |
Be that as it may, there is another war going on — one that
may ultimately do more harm to Israel than Hamas or even Iran has. The war
between Charedim and the rest of Israeli society. A war centered around the
Charedi refusal to share in the burden of defending the nation they live in, by
refusing to enlist or be drafted into the IDF.
Another point of contention is the Charedi lifestyle, which
often does not include entering the workforce until much later in life. Many
Charedim are poorly equipped to contribute meaningfully to the economy due to a
lack of sufficient secular education. And while they are learning full time (before
they enter the workforce) they rely on working wives, government stipends, and
other sources of income not related to employment — such as support from
parents or in-laws, free loan funds, maxed-out credit cards, and charity.
Ever since the war with Hamas broke out, the draft issue has
taken center stage. Without belaboring the point, much Jewish blood has been
spilled by soldiers who have either enlisted or been drafted. Meanwhile,
Charedim have avoided all of it, continuing with their lives as if there were
no war. The public resentment that has resulted from this cannot be overstated.
And who can blame them?
The IDF has had to rely on prolonged periods of service,
with soldiers being away from their families for inordinate amounts of time —
in some cases losing their jobs, businesses, or even their lives. All while
Charedim go about their daily lives almost oblivious to the sacrifices others
are making.
The IDF has attempted to rectify this grossly unfair
arrangement by urging the government to legislate mandatory military service
for all — including Charedim. No more blanket exemptions for an entire segment
of society. Charedim have fought back hard. But yesterday, Arutz Sheva
reported the following:
Israeli security forces are preparing to implement an unprecedented enforcement plan against members of the Haredi public who refuse to enlist.
As part of the new plan, which will be launched next month, checkpoints will be set up at entry points to major Haredi cities, aiming to identify and arrest youths avoiding military service.
The plan follows the decision to send 54,000 draft orders to Haredi youths in the coming year…
The new checkpoints will be positioned at several strategic locations: entrances to major Haredi cities such as Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, and Beit Shemesh; main traffic routes used by the Haredi population; and border crossings, including Ben Gurion Airport and checkpoints in Judea and Samaria.
In addition to the permanent checkpoints, mobile enforcement actions and targeted raids on religious institutions and residential areas will be carried out.
This sounds like a declaration of war. Charedi politicians
have already threatened to bring down the government — and have promised it
again if this version of a draft law is implemented.
That was yesterday. Today, the Times of Israel reports the
following:
Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, presented a Haredi representative with a copy of a watered-down compromise bill regulating the conscription of yeshiva students…
According to national broadcaster Kan, the legislation will call for conscripting only some 4,800 Haredim in the first year. The report said that while the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties will oppose the new legislation, they are not willing “to blow everything up” over the issue.
4,800 inductees is a drastic reduction from the 54,000 the
IDF had announced just yesterday.
To say that opposition politicians are upset would be an
understatement. I’m sure the same can be said for the rest of the Israeli
public — those who have sacrificed so much for their country which of course includes
Charedim.
I do not see this watered-down bill as a compromise that
will ultimately be accepted — not by Charedim, who continue to insist on full
exemptions for all yeshiva students, and not by the rest of Israeli society,
who have given up so much while the Charedim have given up nothing .as far as
they are concerned
I see only an increase in animosity between both sides.
While I understand that Charedim believe they contribute to the welfare of the
nation through their diligence in Torah study, they have failed to make that
case to the broader public — which sees only a self-serving, entitled group of
Jews getting away with what they view as “murder.”
This is not to say that Torah study has no bearing on the
welfare of the Jewish people. It is to say that the Charedim appear oblivious
to the life altering sacrifices everyone else is making — sacrifices that
benefit them, too.
This problem is not going away. However in my view, it would
be the easiest of Israel’s major issues to solve in a way that would be
acceptable to all. A true compromise — one that recognizes the value of Torah
study and ends blanket exemptions from IDF service. Quotas could be
established to satisfy IDF needs and strictly followed. Once those quotas are
filled, the remaining Charedim could then continue learning with the blessing
and support of the government.
Why this hasn’t happened is due to the intransigence of
Charedi leadership. Which means this war — unlike the one with Hamas — will
only get worse. Scenes like the one in the photo will become more frequent. And
Israel may yet face a real civil war in the not-too-distant future.
