My entire family in E”Y are frum, ehrliche people. Most of the males served in the army, and did not compromise their frumkeit. Did they spend a LITTLE less time (or even more than they would have wished) on learning while busy fighting for their country? Maybe. But they were engaged in pikuach nefesh, protecting OTHER frum Yidden who did NOT physically serve their country. And while I DO believe that learning upholds the spiritual health of Klal Yisrael, there is an Eis Milchama, and we are living through those times now.
No one should ever denigrate any Israeli soldier, frum or not, who is moser nefesh to protect our people. And worse, when it is our own people who LIVE there and benefit from that protection who are doing the protesting and denigrating – that is biting the hand that feeds them.
Can we not understand how frustrating and insulting it must be to the members of Tzahal and Nachal to see obviously frum able-bodied men who refuse to serve their army in ANY capacity, while at the same time they castigate the soldiers who put their lives on the line for them? Both sides need to understand and respect the position of the other.