Haredi Pol Says Illegal Law Exempting Yeshiva Students From Draft Will Continue
Interior Minister Eli Yishai said today that despite the High Court's ruling that the Tal Law is illegal, the government will have to extend it until alternative legislation regulating yeshiva students' military service is written, and that could take a year or more. Yishai's comment was reportedly made following a "lengthy conversation" with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Eli Yishai
Yishai: Gov't will extend Tal Law
Shas' chairman says that pending new legislation regulating haredim's IDF service cabinet will have no choice but to extend law despite High Court's ruling to the contrary
Kobi Nahshoni • Ynet
Interior Minister Eli Yishai said Thursday that "The government will have to extend Tal Law until alternative legislation regulating yeshiva students' military service is drafted, with the collaboration of the Defense, Justice and Finance ministries."
Yishai's comment was reportedly made following a "lengthy conversation" with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The High Court's decision to annul the law was widely denounced by the religious parties. On Wednesday, the Knesset voted down two bills meant to regulate military, national and civic service for all Israelis.
Shas' chairman noted that it is the Treasury that is preventing the draft of ultra-orthodox youths because of budget considerations. Yishai said that there are currently hundreds of haredim who are more than interested in performing National Service, but are turned down due to lack of positions.
Yishai hedged that since approving new legislations takes time, Tal Law will be extended by at lease one year – possible until after the next general elections – despite the court's ruling.
"Unfortunately, the haredim have become the victims of politicians vying in primaries… The haredi public will not yield to such political whims. The majority of the Israeli public values those studying the Torah," he said.
Legal experts told Ynet that Yishai's conjecture was wrong and criticized him for discounting the High Court of Justice: "It's inconceivable that a minister will speak put against a ruling by the High Court to the extent of saying that the government will not uphold it.
"A ruling by the High Court of Justice is binding and there is no way that the government will ignore it an extend Tal Law."
Interesting, illegal but wont be enforced until something else can be crafted.
I don't quite get it, they have until August to do it. Why is this not enough time? It need not be more than a couple of paragraphs long.
No matter how it eventually gets done, something will be in place by August since the state is not equipped to jail 60,000 of its people - no way, no how.
Posted by: KJ | February 23, 2012 at 09:29 AM
The state also isn't equipped (psychologically or otherwise) to quash what might be violent riots.
Posted by: Mikal W. Grass | February 23, 2012 at 09:53 AM
The state also isn't equipped (psychologically or otherwise) to quash what might be violent riots.
Posted by: Mikal W. Grass | February 23, 2012 at 09:53 AM
That's the point, they don't have to riot, they simply have to say no and that is it!
The system must be changed but it cant be turned around on a dime. This ruling is a good ruling in that it brings the issue to the table in a logical manner. Now a gradual process must be instituted to effect change.
Maybe start with next years graduating class must serve or do community service. Many times we see laws being put in place but a concept of grandfathering is also instituted so current people are not affected.
Posted by: Confused | February 23, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Many times we see laws being put in place but a concept of grandfathering is also instituted so current people are not affected.
That is true. When I purchased my iPad I purchased AT&T's unlimited data plan. When they dropped that and introduced tiered data plans, people who were under the old unlimited plan were allowed to remain on the now defunct option by what is known as being grandfathered.
Here in the US if a cost cutting measure will be proposed that will raise the age at which social security can be collected, you can be damned sure that exemptions will be put in place for people nearing the current retirement age or they WILL have a riot on their hands!
Once you give someone a benefit it is damned near impossible to take it away!
Posted by: KJ | February 23, 2012 at 11:02 AM
shas and others are full of it, they simply do not think their constitutes should serve the country they live in.
they never say, there are many who use the exemption to avoid army service but really are not learning all day, we will work with the government to find them and get them into the army.
they never say that and never will
Posted by: seymour | February 23, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Rabbi Yishai just manufactured another dose of hillul hashem. No surprise here.
Lets be logical and see what will happen if the rest of Israeli population will behave the way Haredim do. What if everyone says NO to army service?
Haredim really playing with fire by providing bad example for the rest of the people.
Posted by: who knows | February 23, 2012 at 11:54 AM
Lets be logical and see what will happen if the rest of Israeli population will behave the way Haredim do. What if everyone says NO to army service?
This something that I touched upon before. The strength of the haredim is there organization. The seculars have zero organization and cannot pull this off. There are no leaders among them.
Posted by: Confused | February 23, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Yishai needs a big fat cup of "SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GO AWAY".
The tide is now turning, and the UO know that the secular population is no longer interested in supporting their lifestyles.
Posted by: Alter Kocker | February 23, 2012 at 01:27 PM
The ruling by the high court declaring the tal law illegal is actually more of a problem for the anti religious than it is for the religious for many reasons. One suppose there is no agreement reached by the august deadline chances are the coalition goverment will fall apart, due to the departure of the pro dati MK's. This would then lead to a new goverment being formed but the only way a new coalition can be organised is through partnering with the hareidi parties who would invariably demand major concessions regarding service exemptions for the hareidi community. keep in mind the concessions would likely be permanent and may even provide exemption for those that arent studying. this would lead to hareidim eating up jobs that previously werent available to them.
Another reason the striking down of the tal law is no good for the anti religious is becouse in truth the IDF is actually one of our last places where we remain somewhat free of hareidi influence but what would happen if the politicians come up with a plan that would cause an uptick in the amount of chareidim enlisted in the armed forces most likely the army would become another place that the hareidim would control therefore i think that the current situation is best for us we can continue to lambast the religious for not participating but we dont have to endure their actual enlistment to the army
Posted by: justsayin | February 23, 2012 at 01:53 PM
The seculars have zero organization and cannot pull this off. There are no leaders among them.
Posted by: Confused | February 23, 2012 at 12:08 PM
I remember when we started to have the spiraling gas prices I always felt that if only "the people" could declare a line in the sand that the first station that crosses that price threshold the brand should be boycotted by everyone. I felt that if for example a "call" went out to boycott Shell that it would not inconvenience many since there are other brands within a few minutes drive away. It would have sent a POWERFUL message and would give the consumer TREMENDOUS power.
Problem is, there is no way to mobilize people, the infrastructure is simply not in place so we are sheep with no real power.
The Blacks learned about the power of organization to achieve their goals and the haredim understand this as well.
Posted by: KJ | February 23, 2012 at 01:57 PM
Worst idea in the world to enlist charedim. Their chumras and halachic observance will drive everyone insane. You will not have a functioning army, it will become a yeshiva. Leave them alone, though I hate the idea of their never serving. Its just that charedim and the army are not a good fit.
Posted by: shmuel | February 23, 2012 at 06:08 PM
The IDF can not successfully inducti and train thousands of charedeim
and it will take time for the IDF to develop facilities and training programs.
BTW although Shas is a Charedei party it also a sfardi party and large part of it's voting supporters are not Orthodox.
Posted by: Jake | February 23, 2012 at 09:34 PM
Thank G-d it was Yishai who said this. This is the same idiot who said that the Israeli soldiers were dying because they weren't observent enough, so he has a proven track record of being wrong.
Posted by: Mike | February 23, 2012 at 10:05 PM