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| R' Moshe Hillel Hirsch- considered by Charedim to be a Gadol HaDor (A7) ) |
Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, a prominent figure in the Charedi community, recently held an emergency meeting at his home with leading rabbis from major yeshivot. The urgent gathering was convened to address growing concerns over a small but notable trend: yeshiva students from Charedi backgrounds beginning to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The discussion focused on reports of students joining military frameworks tailored for the Charedi sector, such as the Hasmonaim infantry brigade... Although the number of enlistments remains relatively low, senior Charedi leaders fear that the trend may signal an erosion of the community’s long-standing opposition to IDF service.
Once again, the complete lack of empathy for what the rest
of Israel is going through has been demonstrated by one of the Charedi world’s
senior rabbis - often referred to as one of the Gedolei HaDor.
I have been told that these rabbis are fully aware of what
soldiers are going through and have tremendous empathy for them and their
families. Maybe so. But there isn’t a trace of that shown here. Instead, the concern is
entirely about condemning anyone from within their community who tries to do
something about it. Because it ‘may signal an erosion of the community’s
long-standing opposition to IDF service’.
I can’t even begin to express how upsetting this attitude is
to me. It’s tantamount to saying they may feel bad about Jewish casualties - but
not that bad. Not bad enough to do anything about it. Or worse - to prevent
anyone in their community from doing anything about it.
It’s hard to respect an attitude like that, no matter how
one feels as I do about the vital importance of Limud HaTorah. If
someone is so immersed in Torah study that he can’t hear the cries of those
suffering in the same ‘house’, then that Torah study is worthless. These
are not my words. They are the words of the Baal HaTanya to his grandson, the
Tzemach Tzedek, who was so engrossed in his Torah study that he didn’t hear a
baby crying in the next room.
I don’t know what Rav Hirsch is planning to do about his ‘problem’,
but I hope he fails miserably. There is nothing wrong - and everything right - with
the Hasmonaim infantry brigade, which, if I understand correctly, is modeled
somewhat after the Religious Zionist Hesder program, where soldiers devote
non-military time to Torah study. I hope a lot more Charedi heroes like that come forward that will buck the current Charedi trend.
There is a reason Charedim are needed in the first place.
The long duration of the war and the shortage of manpower have resulted in
multiple tours of duty by IDF reservists. Each of which is much longer than it
is supposed to be. If enough Charedim would enlist, it would significantly
lighten the burden on the rest of Israel. The hardships experienced by these
soldiers and their families are numerous and ongoing. Without going into the details
(again) Rav Hirsch seems comfortable ignoring them, or at least not caring
enough about them to help alleviate.
I don’t know how many times I’ve said this - or how many
others have - but it bears repeating: if enough Charedim would enlist, many of
these problems would be reduced if not eliminated. Tours of duty would be
shorter and less repetitive.
Then there is the war itself. First, let me make clear that I do not retract a single thing I have said recently about Israel’s conduct in the war. Nor about how the truth has been distorted by Hamas, their supporters, and apologists. Or how the liberal, knee-jerk media like the New York Times has been willingly manipulated by selectively chosen images from Gaza; the Hamas run Health Ministry, the UN, and NGO volunteers..
Israel is not committing genocide. It is not deliberately
targeting civilians. The image of a child suffering from severe malnutrition
used by the New York Times to show Israel’s supposed ‘starvation tactics’,
was later exposed as a child with a pre-existing condition.
I have no regrets about defending Israel’s conduct in this
war.
That said, the repercussions of what the world sees on TV,
and what news anchors and sources like those mentioned above - repeated as
gospel by the media - are taking a toll.
I have to admit I’ve been discouraged by the continuous
Israel-bashing in the media: the endless images of death and destruction in
Gaza, blamed entirely on Israel. That these accusations are false doesn’t matter
when it comes to public or international support. People see what they see on TV and draw their own conclusions.
While conservative Republicans largely understand who is
really at fault, pro-Palestinian governments like those of France, the UK, and
Canada do not. They believe what they see on TV. So do many liberal Democrats and everyday Americans. As a
result, support for Israel - especially among everyday American Jews and non-Orthodox rabbis - has hit a new low.
Israel cannot ignore U.S. and global reactions, no matter
how misinformed they may be. It must respond in ways that restore the support
it once had—at least from average Americans.
So the question remains: what can Israel do about it?
I’m not in a position to dictate policy to Israel. I have no
access to their military intelligence apparatus. But looking from the outside,
and listening to concerns raised even by supporters of the war, I have to ask: What
is being gained by continuing the war - other than bad media coverage?
Israel was at the height of success after devastating
Hamas’s command structure, decimating Hezbollah’s leadership and arsenal, and
then - the crowning achievement - crippling Iran’s nuclear program, with a little help from
a friend (the U.S.). There were even secondary wins: Assad’s regime was toppled,
Iran-backed militias in Iraq diminished if not entirely eliminated, and the Houthis largely silenced. Add to
that the Abraham Accords, with Arab countries (signed before the war) that saw
a powerful Israel as an ally against
Iranian aggression... and Israel was on top of the world!
But now, with the war continuing, at least from my admittedly uninformed perspective - it seems like Israel has little left to gain, and a great deal to lose in terms of international support. Worse than that is the continued toll the war is taking on Israeli citizen-soldiers and their families. IDF reservists are war weary. They’ve had enough.
Is it worth sacrificing even one more Israeli soldier
to kill one more Hamas terrorist - while thousands remain in reserve? Every
Palestinian male is a potential and willing recruit!
I can’t answer that definitively. But it seems to me that
Israel is shooting itself in the foot at this point. Continuing the war will likely achieve
the opposite of what it intends. The steady stream of devastating images from
Gaza, coupled with biased media coverage, will continue to erode popular
support - until there's none left. And until soldiers begin refusing yet
another long-term tour of duty.
Here's a thought. I would like to see the end of the war immediately
in exchange for all hostages and the permanent expulsion of Hamas from Gaza.
Allow humanitarian aid to flow unimpeded. Offer to withdraw the IDF from Gaza.
And to establish a permanent military perimeter around Gaza to prevent future
attacks - even by a single terrorist. Then allow wealthy, oil-rich Arab states
like Saudi Arabia to begin rebuilding Gaza by first destroying all the tunnels.
My 2 cents.
