The Israeli government on Sunday approved an enlistment law that includes lowering the age of exemption for Chareidim from IDF service to age 21 for two years.
Lowering the age of exemption for Charedim to age 21 was one of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s campaign promises, with the goal of enabling Chareidim who don’t want to serve in the army to enter the job market at an earlier age. Since IDF exemptions are only granted to full-time yeshivah bochurim, bochurim who don’t want to serve in the army for religious reasons are “forced” to stay in yeshivah even if they wish to leave for various reasons.
However, the law caused conflict among the coalition members in recent weeks as Defense Minister Benny Gantz opposed lowering the age of exemption, insisting that it be maintained at age 24. Ultimately, a compromise was reached on the issue, as detailed below:
- The age of exemption will immediately drop to age 21 for the next two years.
- After 24 months, the exemption age will be raised to age 22, and after another 12 months, it will be raised to age 23.
- At the same time, even when the exemption age is raised to ages 22 and 23, Chareidim can be released from compulsory service at age 21 if they join the labor market by completing a professional job training program or a training program in civilian national service, such as search-and-rescue or emergency services.
- Additionally, a team will be formed comprised of representatives of Bennett, Gantz and Alternative Prime Minister Yair Lapid to examine IDF and national service arrangements and formulate a new, broad and updated program in accordance with Israel’s security and labor market needs. The team will present its conclusions by November 2022.
“For decades, the state of Israel has consistently chosen to cut off its nose to spite its face,” Bennett said after the law was approved.
“That is, due to its great anger that the Chareidim aren’t enlisting, it also prevented them from entering the job market until a late age. Today we’re putting an end to this and opening the gates of work and employment to Chareidi youth, without the use of force or tanks in Bnei Brak.”
“This is the correct path for the national interest. The integration of the Chareidi sector in the job market is a top priority for all of us. I am personally excited. This is a historic move for the future of Israel,” Bennet concluded.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
THE ZIONISTS ARE STILL STUCK IN A TIME WARP. THE CONSCRIPTION MODEL IS ARCHAIC AND INEFFICIENT. THE ISRAELIS NEED TO ABOLISH THE DRAFT AND ESTABLISH A MODERN PROFESSIONAL ARMY. YOU CAN’T BUILD A SUCCESSFUL ARMY BY FORCEABLY RECRUITING PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO BE SOLDIERS.
Chareidim have been demanding this for decades
this is potentially good for haredim and for Israel. It will need to be handled sensitively – in the past they would run ‘separate’ college courses for men and women then withdraw them part way through the course, forcing male and female students to mix, or impose female lecturers for haredi men, so people had to drop out—
but iy’’H this could be a positive step.
The govt. will also have to legislate against anti-haredi discrimination so that the civil service and companies will employ haredim which those employers have largely refused to do till now.
Well well…
If we would live side by side with arabs peacefully as in pre medina times, there would be no conscription problems, would there?
What about the Arabs?
Without consulting the people concerned, i.e. the chareidim and their Rosh Yeshivas themselves, it’s only going to fail.
It would be better for everyone if they abolished conscription, and relied on economic incentives as well as patriotism to recruit a professional army. Virtually all countries have abolished conscription, and given the increased reliance of technology rather than “canon fodder” in modern warfare, there are few good reasons to entrust national defense to unwilling and therefore unenthusiastic soldiers.
If Israel abolished conscription, the army would probably make an effort to offer incentives and acomodations designed to recruit religious Jews, who would increasingly be sought after rather than merely put up with, by the army, and who in turn would see the army has possibly frum-friendly source of parnassash (rather than many who now end up in the army, but serving “in spite” of the army).
They will be very surprised and dissappointed to see that the Chareidim will not leave the yeshivas earlier because of this law, and that Torah will continue in Am Yisrael as strong as ever.
All the enymies of H-shem have always tried to destroy Torah learning – the Greeks, the Romans, the Communists. They all understood that the Torah is the secret of our survival. This present day government – this memshelet zadon- is no different.