New Israeli Draft Law A Sham: Defense Minister Writes Haredim To Promise No Haredim Will Ever Be Drafted Against Their Will

A letter sent yesterday to haredi members of Knesset by Ya’alon’s bureau chief Chaim Blumenthal put into writing what until now has only been spoken – any haredi who reports to IDF induction centers when issued a draft notice will not be forced to serve against his will. Despite the new draft law, haredi induction into the IDF will be only happen voluntarily over time and not by a forced draft, the letter, which was written at Ya'alon's request, also says.

Above: Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon

New Israeli Draft Law A Sham: Defense Minister Writes Haredim To Promise No Haredim Will Ever Be Drafted Against Their Will
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Israel’s new military draft law was meant to equalize service by compelling haredim, who overwhelming refuse to serve in the IDF, to be drafted.

But that law has been made a sham by Likud Party officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon.

Less than two weeks ago, Netanyahu openly promised haredi leaders that no haredim will be forced to serve in the IDF against their will despite the new draft law.

Ya’alon has a long history of flouting High Court of Justice rulings related to haredi military service, and has also publicly said that no haredim will be forced to serve in the IDF against their will.

By contrast, non-haredi Jewish Israelis who refuse to be drafted are often imprisoned and face many other societal penalties for not serving in the military.

But now Ya’alon has taken Likud’s arguably illegal promises a giant step further.

A letter (posted below) sent yesterday to three key haredi members of Knesset by Ya’alon’s bureau chief Chaim Blumenthal put into writing what until now has only been spoken – any haredi who reports to IDF induction centers when issued a draft notice will not be forced to serve against his will, Yeshiva World reported based on a report on the Hebrew language news website Lada'at. Despite the new draft law, haredi induction into the IDF will be only happen voluntarily over time and not by a forced draft, the letter, which was written at Ya'alon's request, also says.

The letter also promises complete gender segregation for haredim so they will not have any contact with female soldiers and promises that no haredi man will have to undergo a physical on his first visit to an induction center.

However, the letter does say that any haredi who fails to report to an IDF induction center after receiving a draft notice will be forcibly inducted.

The letter was sent to MKs Rabbi Moshe Gafni, the head of the non-hasidic Degel HaTorah faction of the United Torah Judaism Party; Meir Porush, who acts the head of the hasidic Agudat Israel faction of the United Torah Judaism Party; and Ariel Attias, the Knesset faction head of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party.

All this means that haredim who chose not to serve in the IDF will simply have to report to an IDF induction center once, say they refuse to serve, and leave. They will then be exempted from the draft by Ya’alon – even though the High Court has already ruled that blanket exemptions of haredim are illegal and that special exemptions that apply to haredim but do not have parallel exemption for everyone else are, as well.

Haredi MKs are reportedly expected to take the letter to their parties’ respective rabbinic leadership for a ruling on whether haredim should comply with the law and answer draft notices or if they should continue to refuse to do so, despite Netanyahu’s and Ya’alon’s promises.

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Comments

[Yosef ben Matitya]

the entire state is a sham
they lie to their voters, their allies, their citizens ...

[Yosef ben Matitya]

the government lies, the rabbis lie. it's the norm. to reveal the truth, it is often safe to take a lie and reverse it.

[David]

This is just wrong. The Charedim must be forced to abide with their legal, moral and Halachic obligations. This not only includes their obligations to defend Israel but their obligations to work, educate their children and even vaccinate their children. If they don't want to fulfil the obligations of living in a civilised society they should move to some sh*thole like Zimbabwe or Iran.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

The truth is in.

Hairydim are cowards.

That is the real reason they will not serve.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

BTDT

hareidim are hareidim, the trouble is the sham government that deceive their constituencies, allies and the rest of the world.