Home › Forums › Controversial Topics › What's wrong with the draft? › Reply To: What's wrong with the draft?
note that in the quote: “It is a mitzva for every able-bodied Jew to serve in the Israeli army in some capacity, even those who have exemptions in non-emergency cases.(Rambam Hilchot Melachim 7:4)” – the Rambam no where says that “Israel” means any state with many Jews in it that happens to be in Eretz Yisrael, and that vigorously denies any connection to the Jewish state that existed in Eretz Yisrael in ancient times. He is talking about a malchus established based on Torah – not one that rejects Torah as the source of law and is based on non-Jewish law. While many religious zionists hope that Medinat Yisrael might become a Jewish state, the vast majority of Israelis and especially those who run Eretz Yisrael reject the idea.
If Medinat Yisrael were replaced by a Jewish state, one that stated that its law was Torah (i.e. its Supreme Court consisted of scholars who would declare laws unconstitutional for being against Torah), and one that asserted that it was the successor to the ancient state — then it might be shailoh. But as long as the mainstream zionists insist that “Medinat Yisrael” is not a Jewish state but only a “Democratic” state in which many Jews live, it isn’t even worth debating.