The Sentry
Real life stories. Documents. Quotes.
The deadline given by the Supreme Court for the current chareidi draft law to expire is in a few weeks time. The government has therefore put forth a new draft law. One of the novelties of the new law is the introduction of an abbreviated three week track. One can train for just three weeks and fulfill his army requirement. The only catch is that afterward he must continue his studies in an academic institution or National Service. Another new track is a three month program to train for the Home Front Command [Pikud Ha’oref], a division of the military. Following the training one becomes a lifetime member of the reserves. [Their services were immensely appreciated during the corona outbreak, as they circled Bnei Brak and disbursed stickers to children. They thus have become a familiar figure in the eyes of the chareidi population. Operation successful.]
The new law also contains financial consequences on the yeshivas if the quotas are not met. Also, should the quotas not be met for a few years, the entire law will expire and all bnei hayeshiva will be subject to the army draft.
It is interesting to note that in the past many have vehemently denied that there exist any official “michsos and ya’adim”, quotas of how many chareidim need to enlist yearly in the army. However, now during the ongoing negotiations of the draft law, some who have never admitted that there are quotas are proclaiming the success of the reduction of the previously “nonexistent” quotas. Another observation; while many are calling out the evil left wing government over many anti-Torah measures, the draft law doesn’t seem to into this category.
The government wanted to bring the law to be voted upon already last week. However harbei shluchim la’Makom. The coalition has an Arab party “Ra’am” as one of its members. They have been stalling to agree to vote for the draft law in order to procure an electricity bill for the Arab sector. [Truthfully, Arab parties have always abstained from supporting draft laws, in deference to the chareidim, however they have been given to understand that it is now supported by the chareidi factions.] Then, a female member of the coalition had a child, and is out of work. And now a number of the coalition MKs were in the vicinity of a reporter who tested positive for corona and were sent into quarantine [remember that!].
The new law is only perceived as a short-term fix, as the Supreme Court will surely declare that it does not provide sufficient equality, for although it demands quotas for the army, it still allows many to continue to learn. A new long-term overhaul to the law has therefore been introduced. It’s short and simple; every boy and girl in the country must serve the state in some capacity or another [e.g. police, first responder, education, assisting the elderly], save a few “masmidim”. A new committee has been established to coordinate between all the applicable government offices.
The well-known statement written twenty years ago by Hagaon Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zatzal is playing-out now, he wrote; “And it is clear that the Supreme Court [and those turning to it] won’t stop with the passing of Chok Tal, for they seek ‘complete equality’, and they will only be satisfied with an overall drafting of bnei hayeshivas, R”l. Experience has shown that here in Eretz Yisroel the exclusive path [of combat] is to stand with unyielding resolution that there be no disturbing of the yeshivas hakedoshos and the heichalei haTorah. Only through standing firm will the status quo remain in effect.”
Uru v’hisoreru
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