Zionist Orthodox Party Opposes All Penalties For Haredi Yeshivas That Violate New Draft Law
The Zionist Orthodox HaBayit HaYehudi Party is trying to block a provision in the new draft bill that would impose economic sanctions on haredi yeshivas that refuse to encourage their students to enlist in the IDF and which do not meet their draft quotas. HaBayit HaYehudi says it wants to reward yeshivas that do encourage students to serve and do meet their draft quotas, but not penalize any that do not. HaBayit HaYehudi also opposes criminal penalties for haredim who dodge the draft. However, HaBayit HaYehudi does not oppose the existing criminal penalties for secular Israelis who dodge the draft.
Zionist Orthodox Party Opposes All Penalties For Haredi Yeshivas That Violate New Draft Law
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The Knesset committee that is writing Israel’s new military draft law agreed yesterday to do something the IDF strongly opposes. It again refused to lengthen the term of IDF service for women, which is now set at about 2/3 the time non-Orthodox men now serve. But the committee shortened that period of service for men by four months – angering the IDF, which is predicting massive manpower shortages as a result.
Yesterday the committee – headed by Ayelet Shaked of the right wing Zionsit Orthodox HaBayit HaYehudi Party – again refused to lengthen women’s term of service but, in a nod to the IDF, agreed have the issue revisited in two years. If at that time the IDF can show it has suffered a manpower shortage as a result of the committee’s choices, the Minister of Defense will be allowed to add four months to the time women serve – as long as the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee agrees, Ha'aretz reported.
MK Itzik Shmuli of the Labor Party called the committee’s decision “scandalous.” Instead of equalizing the burden of military service by drafting those who don’t serve and by making terms of service more equal, the committee “is increasing the burden on those who are already carrying it,” Shmuli reportedly said.
The committee also decided fund 100 Chabad yeshiva students to serve as Chabad emissaries overseas for one year, and count them as part of Israel’s national civilian service. This would exempt these 100 Chabad yeshiva students from the draft and would count them toward the overall haredi draft quota. The Foreign Ministry condemned the move, calling it illegal.
Chabad is politically close to HaBayit HaYehudi.
Chabad yeshiva students usually spend one year when they are 18-years-old on “shlichus,” studying for ordination while at the same time helping local Chabad emissaries run outreach and missionary programs. This new government program essentially is paying for 100 of these students to do this, as long as they chose to do their year of shlichus outside North America and Western Europe.
Meanwhile, HaBayit HaYehudi is trying to block a provision in the new draft bill that would impose economic sanctions on haredi yeshivas that refuse to encourage their students to enlist in the IDF and which do not meet their draft quotas. HaBayit HaYehudi reportedly says it wants to reward yeshivas that do encourage students to serve and do meet their draft quotas, but not penalize any who do not.
HaBayit HaYehudi also opposes criminal penalties for haredim who dodge the draft and has promised to gut them. However, HaBayit HaYehudi does not oppose the existing criminal penalties for secular Israelis who dodge the draft.
HaBayit HaYehudi has also blocked attempts to significantly lengthen the term of service for Zionist Orthodox hesder yeshiva students, who only serve 16 months of active duty. It agreed to lengthen that term to 17 months several weeks ago. Secular Israeli men currently serve on active duty in the IDF for more than double that.
I fail to understand what part of unsustainable model is not comprehended by the ultra orthodox political parties. The eventual collapse of the Israeli economy under the weight of welfare payments to a significant portion of the populace is neither conjecture nor theory. As this group populates the country out of existence, there will be a breaking point. That much is certain. HaBayit Yehudi, Shas and UTJ should be telling their target demographic that there will be an eventuality wherein Israel will have to shut off payments. The bonuses to yeshivas for encouraging student enlistment is a good stop-gap measure, but penalties in order to compel compliance with the draft are also necessary. A carrot and stick approach.
Right now, these parties are politic-ing, solidifying their base by holding to the current status quo. Anyone remotely able to understand economics or simple math can tell that the current system is unsustainable and will collapse the Israeli economy. The ultra orthodox must be compelled to take their place as taxpayers: serve the country in the army, work for a living and no longer take welfare payments and have their children educated so that they can work.
Posted by: Alter Kocker | March 05, 2014 at 12:01 PM
is the government's intention of the chareidim serving in the army because the army does not have enough manpower? or is it an attmept to get them to be less anti-israeli/pro working as an economic boost?
Posted by: Cholent For Thought | March 05, 2014 at 08:50 PM