Agudas Yisrael MK Meir Porush on Monday participated in a stormy discussion in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the new Chareidi draft bill and leveled harsh accusations against both opponents of the law and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
During the discussion, opposition members and some coalition members [from Likud and Religious Zionism] expressed fierce opposition to the law, claiming that it doesn’t call for sufficiently strict sanctions and will not lead to a significant increase in Chareidi recruits.
At least eight coalition members said that they plan on voting against the bill.
It should be noted that the Agudas Yisrael party has also expressed its opposition to the bill. Furthermore, even if the bill passes, it will almost certainly be rejected by the Supreme Court
Meanwhile, Porush called for a complete revocation of the bill for different reasons. “I am proud to represent lomdei Torah, even though it is difficult for me to listen here to the words of mockery and scorn toward lomdei Torah,” he said.
“Yesterday I saw data from the Knesset Research and Information Center about many Bedouins who don’t enlist, religious Druze, and others. But under pressure from the Attorney General, the proposed law will only harm lomdei Torah [via sanctions]—this in a country under Jewish rule.”
“Like [Chaim] Herzog, z’l, at the UN, I think we should tear up the proposals that harm Torah.”
Porush was referring to a UN General Assembly session in 1975, when Herzog tore up a resolution equating Zionism with colonialism and South African apartheid and determined that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”
Opposition representatives in the discussion responded, “On that point we agree—the draft law proposal needs to be torn up.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
It’s obvious who the agenda is against they’re not even trying to hide it. Arabs can Room free and stab us but will give them health care and benefits anyway. And the court will defend them to the end. Really the only way out is Revolution but the problem is followers of Torah are not the violent type we just want to follow hashem’s will and they don’t let us
If the argument is that someone should not serve because some desert dwellers are not serving – that is a pretty weak argument. Maybe a sign that there are no better arguments.
Whataboutism.
And let’s say they did go after the Arabs, Druze, etc.
Porush would then acknowledge that haredim should be subject to the draft, no different than any other citizens?
Well if it’s about equality then yeah they should go after everyone including Arabs. Don’t exempt the terror faction of society and give them all the benefits in the world and then complain that the poorest Jews in the land that don’t even get their stipends anymore aren’t contributing militarily. Either cancel all the Arabs benefits or start drafting them. Or admit you’re a faker
Seriously???
Porush, is this what you have to say ?
Do the Chareidim now want Muslims in the army? That means giving them weapons… completely nuts.
Honestly, as an American Yid who travels to EY, I have a very hard time finding sympathy for the new age “Chareidim” who wsnt to do nothing and expect everyone else to do it all while claiming they ste sitting and learning. Puhleeze… A Yid needs to be Ehrlich. There are many ways they can help Eretz Yisroel, the army is only one way. They can teach in schools as their service thereby bringing אחינו בני ישראל together. And there is no excuses of Kashrus in the Army. This i am disgusted by the “leadership” of today, who lack any sense of anything.
P.S. the Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim of the previous generation understood that there can’t be total exemption for everyone, it simply doesn’t work
Its not a simple argument to justify not serving, its to show you clearly how they discriminate against the Chareidim, which makes us wonder if its a draft issue that bothers them or the fact that we are keeping to the torah that bothers them
Silly question, but to be expected from someone who combines a “Hareidi” lifestyle and halachic perspective with a professional devotion to getting the government to finance the Hareidi community. — Non-Jewish communities who accept being “under” zionist rule are not a threat to the zionist dream of a medinah free of Torah. Hareidim, even if they serve in the army, are an existential threat to that zionist dream. Zionism and being Hareidi don’t mix. Zionism is based on the idea of a sovereign state, meaning (if you look at the origin of that legal term) the the king, i.e. the state, is above any other king including not just human kings and states, but also above Ha-Shem. No matter how much money you offer him, no Hareidi will ever claim that he (and his medinah) are above Ha-Shem. — When you seek favors (and money) from politicians, it is good to look at their underlying ideology, and to ask how helping you also helps them and what the price for that “help” will be. The pro-zionist (at least to extent of loving zionist gelt) Hareidim didn’t do this, and now they are paying the price.
Shlomo2 totally misses the point
The fact that they are going after hareidim only, indicates there is no real need just they are looking to target the hareidi community and lifestyle, and that was his point and you missed it. It went right over your head.