Students To Boycott Classes To Protest Haredi Draft Deferments

Hundreds of high-school students across the country are expected to boycott classes on Sunday in protest at the Tal Law, legislation that allows full-time haredi yeshiva students to defer their military service. In addition, 4,000 high-school students from around the country have signed a protest letter against the Tal Law. 

 

Students to cut class across Israel to protest Haredi army deferments
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to let Knesset decide the law's future, after initially saying he would put an additional five-year extension to cabinet vote.
By Gili Cohen • Ha’aretz

Hundreds of high-school students across the country are expected to boycott classes on Sunday in protest at the Tal Law, legislation that allows full-time Yeshiva students to defer their military service.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to let the Knesset decide the law's future, after initially saying he would put an additional five-year extension to a cabinet vote on Sunday. Netanyahu changed course following objections by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Debate on an extention of the law must begin by February 1 if the government is to preserve the option of extending it beyond its current expiration date in August.

Despite the prime minister's decision to scrap the cabinet vote, the student walkout is expected to go ahead on Sunday from 9 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Tiberias and Ramat Hasharon. Some students plan to protest outside their schools. Others are expected to study in the corridors or hold panel discussions on the issue.

"Although there won't be a debate on the law in the cabinet, we intend to go to Jerusalem to come and say that we are not all excited over the change [in the location] of the debate. Instead, we believe we have to keep our finger on the pulse to immediately rescind this law," said Zahara Berger Tzur of the Forum for Equal Service.

One of the initiators of the student walkout, Yotam Berger, is a senior at the Hebrew University High School in Jerusalem. (He is no relation to Berger Tzur but is also a member of the Forum for Equal Service.) Berger said 4,000 high-school students from around the country have signed a protest letter against the Tal Law. Berger's school, which is commonly know as "Leyada," will be holding a panel discussion on the legislation.

Protesters at a so-called "suckers encampment" - set up near the Central Railway Station in Tel Aviv - have collected about 1,000 signatures against the law in recent days.

Although about 1,000 students from around the country announced their intention on a Facebook page, created in support of the protest, to boycott classes on Sunday, Berger expects the numbers actually staying away to be in the hundreds.

"We are trying to draw a red line. The current status quo cannot continue," Berger said. "The voter deserves to know what the prime minister thinks and whether or not he is rescinding the Tal Law. I am very dissatisfied with the [debate's] postponement."

Comments

[netflix]

I always feel that I dont have a right to have a strong opinion about the Tal law since I live in the states and never had the option of being drafted into the IDF or go to yeshiva.

I feel like its not my place to be angry at other people that they didnt join the army. If I cared so much why didnt I volunteer.

[Eli]

In most countries where it exists, obligatory military service is a means of forcing a diverse population to mix and create a regime of greater tolerance of differences.
Ironically, if the haredi served in the military, they would be the group benefitting the most by building connections and support.

[Mike the MO Maven]

I would not have a problem with Haredim if it was merely that they wanted to postpone the draft for a year or two to go to yeshiva, but the fact of the matter is that they do virtually nothing for the country. We pay taxes in the United States, pledge allegiance to the flag, and that is our service to our country. These guys, on the other hand, are constantly complaining about the lack of "tznius", rarely ever pay taxes, and yet with all the things the government does to make them all cozy, they respond by burning Israeli flags and constantly calling for the dis-establishment of the state. And if the government tries to make it incumbent on them to serve the country in SOME way, they always pull out the anti-semitism card. It's less to do about the army and more to do with the fact that they don't serve their country. With all these things going on in Israel, something is going to break. And as these students become fully established adults, one can only assume that one of them will step up and give the ultra-orthodox an ultimatum. Serve the country, stop imposing your religiosity on us, or leave.

[Steven]

I don't know enough about the minutiae of Knesset votes. Is this the kind of vote that is going to require party line votes or are MKs allowed to vote freely?

[Confused]

I feel like its not my place to be angry at other people that they didnt join the army. If I cared so much why didnt I volunteer.

Posted by: netflix | January 28, 2012 at 10:51 PM

I too can't complain since I took advantage of the 2S and 4D deferments here in the states. I certainly did not want to go half way around the world to kill Vietnamese in some god awful rice field.

[seymour]

Posted by: Confused | January 29, 2012 at 01:09 AM

big difference

in Israel it is about survival and the country itself is being attack and the army defends the country at home

[ruthie]

there are mothers in israel that worry about their dear sons.
i know them.
there are young men that would give their life up in a sweet second for israel.
there are young men who go into the IDF and are scared. but they go.
men are human.
it's ok to be scared.
men are human. some are just too brave for words.
but if you're going to study torah over enlisting for the very survival of the country the LEAST they could do is respect the soldiers. respect.
but most don't.
i see the soldiers that are guarding the borders of israel, the pilots that sit in the planes all night...
the mothers that worry sooo....
seriously, they are as holy as someone studying all night.
full stop.

[Confused]

Posted by: Confused | January 29, 2012 at 01:09 AM

big difference

in Israel it is about survival and the country itself is being attack and the army defends the country at home

Posted by: seymour | January 29, 2012 at 01:22 AM

I don't know if it is that simple. It is natural to not want to serve if not lots of people would go to Israel to volunteer. I think I would take the 2S 4D even if we were being attacked by the Mexicans. People serve in a non-voluntary based system simply because to not serve means to go to prison. If someone is presented with a legal way out a high percentage would take it.

Maybe Israel is different, maybe we can avoid all this bad blood. Let service be voluntary; patriotism combined with a generous compensation package may meet the country's needs.

[ruthie]

confused....
as of today....israel cannot afford a voluntary service.
i pray there will be peace one day.
not only in israel, but around this planet of ours

[who knows]

Counfused is touching on an interesting history which we all seem to overlook:

All the leaders of Haredi and Hassidic worlds of today both in Israel and in the US are yesterday's smart asses who managed to avoid service to their countries by playing any kinds of deferrements in order to save their precious skin. These are our leaders. They are not heroes, but a average little men whos claims to grandure are not more sustainable then Charlie Sean's

[Confused]

... in the US are yesterday's smart asses who managed to avoid service to their countries by playing any kinds of deferrements in order to save their precious skin

You are absolutely right! If not for those sons of bitched maybe today there would be graves of some young Jews killed in the rice patties of Vietnam that we would be able to visit. More so, maybe the participation of more frum Jews defending our country from the Vietnamese we would have actually won the war!!!

[netflix]

You are absolutely right! If not for those sons of bitched maybe today there would be graves of some young Jews killed in the rice patties of Vietnam that we would be able to visit.

Posted by: Confused | January 29, 2012 at 07:51 AM
__________

I assume that is sarcasm

[seymour]

I assume that is sarcasm

Posted by: netflix | January 29, 2012 at 08:19 AM
I do not think so

maybe if more gentile would have avoided ww11 like frum do all the time Hitler would have won the war or it would have taken longer and who knows how many more yiddin would have gotten killed

[seymour]

Posted by: Confused | January 29, 2012 at 02:46 AM

it is not only that they do not serve it is their attitude.

they think they are doing more than the IDF.They believe and say it loudly over and over, that the only reason any wars where and are won is their Torah learning and NOT the bravery and sacrifice of the IDF.

what Fuchs said to the female IDF when she responded to him, how can you talk to me like that I risk my live to protect you, he laughed at her and said I protect you with my Torah. learning.

that is a common believe amongst the Orthodox all Orthodox Jews.

Even if one believes that nonsense, how could one compare risking one lives to sitting in a comfortable yeshiva building

that is why they are despised and hated

they are either coward or delusional

take your pick
.

[Korbendallas72]

They're both delusional AND cowardly, but let's not forget that they view the IDF as the tribe of Dan, the lowliest of the 12 tribes whose existence is solely to protect the high and mighty scholars who, at this point, are studying false texts.

[Confused]

Even if one believes that nonsense, how could one compare risking one lives to sitting in a comfortable yeshiva building

They are sitting in a warm and comfortable yeshiva building because (a) they like it and (b) it keeps them out of the draft.

I too sat in a comfortable university campus because (a) I liked it and (b) it kept me out of Vietnam (supplemented by me sitting in a yeshiva as well.)

This is something that was mentioned previously, as long as the LEGAL deferment exists don't beat up on the hapless soul who takes advantage of it. If you believe the deferment is wrong then for goodness sense GET IT OFF THE BOOKS. You wont hear me complain! As long as the need of a draft everyone should serve to some capacity, but you have to be an idiot to not avail yourself to a legal deferment if you can find one.

Our country has a LONG list of people including presidents who have evaded the draft!

[seymour]

Posted by: Confused | January 29, 2012 at 09:10 AM

true

but that still does not explain their disrespect to the IDF and thinking they are doing more to protect the country than the IDF and like Fuchs said

the Torah learners protect the IDF

[Ruthie]

Thank you Seymour

[Korbendallas72]

It's the absolute sense of entitlement, the ghetto mentality of not knocking the hustle, the insular cult mentality, and the unforgiving subjugation of a hated underclass. The Haredi gig is up, and they're not happy about it.

[KJ]

A reasonable way of controlling the number of shnorers. If it were me, I would ask for a "piece of the action". A lesson learned from my relative, "Uncle Sam"

[KJ]

Above post.

Woops, wrong thread - never mind!