5 Responses

1. In American English, a “deserter” is someone who joins the army and then runs away. The Israelis are using the term to refer to someone who refuses to join the army (basically a “legal fiction” that once you receive a draft notice it is self-executing and you are now in the military, and now showing up is desertion). In standard English, such a person is a “draft resistor.”

2. To Akuperma
   actually, in standard English (or Ivrit or any language) they are correctly described as draft “evaders” or “dodgers”‘; sort of like some guy from a wealthy family in Queens back in the late 60s who found a cooperative podiatrist who asserted he had a “bone spur” and could not perform military service so some poor kid from harlem or the Bronx would have to go to Viet Nam in his place. Truly principled individuals….

3. a stupid bum is a bum and is stupid no matter what adjective is used to describe him.

   Rav Stieneman and Rav Kienievsky (together with most Rosh Yeshivas) tell the boys go and get a deferment! Just bring in the papers and walk out with the deferment – so easy and so legal.

   But Peleg has lost its brains and prefers being super-frum (?) over normal. They think that they are on high levels of Yiddiskeit when in reality are super stupid.

   HaShem y’rachem.

4. To “Gaoldhadorah” – what about the idea of conscientious objectors? Why does that concept exist in the civilized world but not in “Israel”? Actually, if you check out the non-Jewish media, they are far more understanding of the idea that “Talmudic students” should not be drafted. But you, clever Jew that you think you are, believe that kochi v’otzem yodi is the only way to go and that even though the army is on record as saying that it doesn’t need hareidi manpower, you know better. You imply that a hareidi not enlisting means that some poor chiloni gets drafted instead when the truth is that a) many “poor” (but mostly rich) chilonim don’t enlist either b) those who do serve get a LOT of financial benefits out of it c) most are not in harm’s way d) most who “serve” are wasting about 60% of their time during “service.”
   Ever hear about “shavua-shavua”? This is how secular non-combat soldiers serve. It means one week on base, and then one week at home. Why? Because there are ALREADY too many soldiers…

5. dear luckshun kugel & ywn
   get your facts straight
   this was a protest outside the draft board against the arrest of a bachur who came to get a DEFERRAL
   my son knows the bachur
   why else do you think he was at the draft office, duh?