Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon – who has aspirations for higher office – visited the Belzer Rebbe Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach Monday and assured Rokeach that no haredi yeshiva students would be drafted against their will. The meeting, which lasted about one hour, was held at Ya’alon’s request, not Rokeach's.
Above: Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon
Defense Minister Promises Hasidic Rebbe That No Haredi Yeshiva Students Will Be Forced To Serve In The IDF
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon – who has aspirations for higher office – visited the Belzer Rebbe Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach Monday and assured Rokeach that no haredi yeshiva students would be drafted against their will, BeHadrei Haredim reported. The meeting, which lasted about one hour, was held at Ya’alon’s request, not Rokeach's.
Ya’alon reportedly told Rokeach that no haredi yeshiva students will be drafted against their will, and promised that those haredi yeshiva students will be able to continue studying full time in yeshivas in perpetuity.
“Any nation which views Torah students as criminals will not remain a Jewish nation,” Ya’alon reportedly told Rokeach.
Ya’alon also discussed the process for haredim who answer their first draft notice and report to their designated IDF induction center. Ya’alon told Rokeach that the IDF personnel at those induction centers are under orders not to violate the religious sensibilities of haredi yeshiva students.
Last week, Ya’alon’s bureau chief sent a letter to three key haredi members of Knesset in Ya’alon’s name promising that any haredi who reports to an IDF induction center 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, promised.
That letter also promises complete gender segregation for haredim so they will not have any contact with female soldiers at induction centers and promises that no haredi man will have to undergo a physical at an induction center when he answers his draft notice.
Non-haredim are compelled to serve in the IDF and those who fail to do so, whether they answer their initial draft notices or not, are often jailed.
But Ya’alon has in effect promised haredi leaders that all full time haredi yeshiva students will be exempted from the draft as long as they answer their initial draft notice.
Those who refuse to answer their draft notices, however, will be forcibly drafted.
This arrangement appears to be in violation of a High Court of Justice ruling forbidding such draft exemptions and Ya’alon has a history of skirting and even flouting the High Court’s ruling.
Rokeach was reportedly pleased with what Ya’alon had to say and blessed him, urging him to “be strong” – i.e., to continue to defy the High Court and grant special illegal favors to the haredi community.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Ya’alon’s open appeasement of haredi leaders and made his own similar promise to haredim several weeks ago.
Both Netanyahu and Ya’alon are Likud Party members. Likud is unlikely to be able to retain power in the next election without the support of haredi political parties who are the center-right party’s only natural Knesset allies.
Haredi rabbinic and political leaders across the board vehemently oppose any draft of haredi yeshiva students and almost all oppose drafting any haredim, whether or not they study in yeshiva.
Related Posts:
New Israeli Draft Law A Sham: Defense Minister Writes Haredim To Promise No Haredim Will Ever Be Drafted Against Their Will.
Defense Minister To Haredim: Don’t Worry, You Will Never Be Drafted Against Your Will, Law Or No Law, High Court Or No High Court.
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