Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita, who heads the nation’s hesder yeshivot organization, held a meeting on Wednesday with Yael Gabbai, the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office. The meeting surrounded the recent decision by the defense minister to oust the Har Bracha Hesder Yeshiva from the system. Accompanying Rav Druckman was Rabbi David Stav, who himself is a hesder rosh yeshiva as well as serving as the official spokesman to the hesder network.

Rabbi Druckman represents the moderate camp, openly speaking out against any insubordination in the military, stressing the need to maintain a unified strong IDF. The rav, a survivor of the Nazi atrocities, has always placed an emphasis on attempting to adjudicate disputes without going head to head and engaging in controversy, placing a high value on one’s actions towards his fellow yid.

The rav’s wrote a column in one of the weekly parsha sheets distributed in shuls, ‘Olam Katan’ in which he explains to students that if given an order that he feels contradicts his personal beliefs and/or halacha, he should quietly approach his commander and seek to arrive at a solution. In the event this is not possible, then one always has the option to live one’s conscience but then one must also be willing to live with the consequences of one’s decision.

The rabbi stressed the value of the IDF, which is responsible for protecting the nation, and urges the government to avoid placing the IDF and soldiers in a position such as the expulsion from Gush Katif, when soldiers were compelled to decide between their loyalties. He stresses this must be avoided at all costs.

The mainstream media is already pointing to Rav Druckman, reporting that he is not denouncing insubordination, conveniently ignoring the fact that he does not support a wave of dissension in the IDF, but advise those who find their basic tenets challenged, to seek to work it out on the personal level and if left with no alternative, to act accordingly with the understanding there will be consequences.

While Defense Minister Ehud Barak does not appear willing to reconsider his decision to oust Har Bracha, Rabbi Druckman is still working to reach an understanding towards the reinstatement of the yeshiva in the hesder system.

In the meantime, students, soldiers and former students from Har Bracha have filed a petition against the defense minister with the High Court of Justice, basing it on the fact they believe the minister exceeded the authority of his post as well as challenging his decision which they view as unjustifiable collective punishment against the students for the remarks of the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)