Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has drawn fierce condemnation from across the frum community, after he openly declared his support for revoking the voting rights of chareidi Jews who do not serve in the Israeli army.
Speaking about the government’s upcoming legislation on military exemptions, Lapid said that if the current coalition passes a bill to regulate Torah learners’ deferments, “then in the next government there will be a simple law: whoever does not come to induction, will not come to the polls. Whoever does not enlist, will not vote. And they will not receive one Shekel from the State.”
Lapid boasted that his party, Yesh Atid, already voted in favor of a similar proposal that was rejected earlier this year, and vowed to bring it back “without batting an eye.”
“We’ll tell the chareidim: this isn’t against you, it’s not a punishment — it’s an invitation to be part of the Israeli story,” he said, adding that “whoever doesn’t have the same obligations will not have the same rights.”
Lapid’s words sparked an immediate outcry — not only for their blatant discrimination, but for what many see as a direct echo of dark times in Jewish history.
Lapid’s remarks expose the deep fear within Israel’s secular establishment.
“They see the writing on the wall,” an Israeli askan said. “The medinah is changing. The majority of children entering first grade are shomer Shabbos. The yeshivos are full. The Torah world is growing. They are terrified — because they know the future of Klal Yisroel is not theirs to control.”
The irony of Lapid’s statement should not be missed. While branding himself a defender of democracy, he now proposes to deny voting rights to an entire community based on religious belief and lifestyle — something unseen in any democratic nation.
Augdas Yisroel (UTJ) MK Yisroel Eichler responded by saying that he “welcomes MK Yair Lapid’s ‘democratic ‘ demand to strip citizens of their right to vote, provided that the law applies to every privileged individual who did not serve in a combat role at the front. Additionally, anyone who has not completed their high school matriculation will not be allowed to serve as Prime Minister.”
NOTE: Lapid did not graduate from high school and served as a reporter for IDF magazine Bamahane during his “mandatory military service”.
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6 Responses
So this won’t apply to the Arabs, what happened to equality?
Does that mean the arabs also? Or you’re just a self hating faker like the rest of them. Keep granting exemptions for the million Arabs while still giving them all the benefits and we’ll talk about equality at your funeral
Would the same rule apply to the hipster leftist concientious objectors in Tel Aviv?
will any real jews get the message? do we again need nurenburg laws to tell us that we shouldn’t vote in the evil state elections?
it seems everyone except Agudah knows that voting makes us “partners” in crime with the zionists.
voting is a bit extreme – take away all benefits. no reason to get and not give
Nothing new here.
Back in 1919, Jabotinsky wrote an article about how religious Jews, nice though they may be, don’t deserve to vote in elections due to lack of intellect.