Peleg is taking to the streets to protest the arrest of bochurim who did not register for draft deferments as required by law. They did not since they followed the psak of their Rav. Which is fine- there is a machlokes about how to handle the draft issue. Most gedolim say to register as required, get your deferrment, and leave it to the chareidi politicians and rabbanim to make sure that the legal status quo remains as is- that as long as a bochur is learning full time in a recognized yeshiva, he can get a deferment. Those who follow R’ Auerbach’s pska of not registering, not cooperating at all with the army or recognizing its authority, are doing it knowing that they risk arrest for breaking the law. The true kiddush Hashem would be if they stick to their ideals and proudly take the consequences. The protests are totally uncalled for, since it is their choices that lead to their arrest.
When Shinui came into the government several years back, and forced thru changes to the draft, there was a huge crisis. What was the response? Tefilla rallies. Non-violent protests with government permits. Lots of davening. Within a short time, the government fell, Shinui was out, the chareidim back in and quietly behind the scenes they halted the damage of the giyus law. There is always a threat that things can revert again, and that is why we need a lot of tefilla, and smart actions- actions that do not antagonize the secular majority, that do not give fodder to the Lapids of the world who run on campaign promises to get the chareidim into the army. These protests are the surest way to gain Lapid votes and force thru further draconian giyus laws, C”vSh. And then there really will be a draft problem, not a contrived one.
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