Defense Minister Israel Katz is advancing a plan, in coordination with the IDF and the Civil Service Administration, to significantly expand civilian service opportunities for Chareidim who will not enlist in the military.
The proposal comes after the Knesset entered recess without passing legislation regulating the draft issue. Under the current arrangement, an opinion issued by the attorney general limits civilian service enrollment to 1,000 participants annually while no conscription law is in effect.
During a visit to ZAKA’s national logistics center, Katz said he was working with the IDF and civilian service officials to increase the annual quota.
The issue is also before the Supreme Court. The attorney general has argued that the existing civilian service tracks effectively bypass mandatory IDF service, and the state must respond by July 30 as to why the program should not be halted.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
3 Responses
Are the Chareidim interested? Perhaps if ZAKA or Hatzoloh count, that would be an option.
If the secular Zionists give up on their goal, going back to the 19th century, of a medinah free of Torah, and free of Hareidim – it would be easy to work out ways for Hareidim to support national defense. At present there are good reasons for the Hareidim to see the secular zionists as an existential threat, and the Muslims (increasingly led by the Iranians) as the least bad alternative.
Options for national service could include part time employment in military industries, locating Chareidi yeshivos in frontier communities (military training could be a “Bein Zmanim” activity), Chareidi military units that respect the social norms of the Chareidi communities and whose commanders are all Chareidi (as opposed to current “frum” units which are painfully similar to British “native” troops, or the American “colored” regiments).
I don’t understand why these civilian service options would be more acceptable to charedim than army service. If the objection to army service is that those who are learning full time must not be torn from the beis medrash (which is 100% correct), then what difference does it make whether they’re torn away for the military or for Zaka/Hatozolah? Either way they’re not learning, and they should be. Those who are not learning anyway, and thus are suitable for service with Zaka/Hatzola, can just as well go to the army.