MK: Want to Enlist Hareidim? Enlist Arabs, Too

Arutz Sheva ^ | 6/2/13 | Maayana Miskin

[Eleutheria5]

“Equal share in the burden” of army enlistment is meaningless if it does not include Arab citizens, representatives from the hareidi-religious Yahadut Hatorah (United Torah Judaism) party argued Tuesday evening in a meeting with Likud Beytenu.

“If there is ‘equality’ – then let it be true equality. Why is the hareidi population under pressure while the Arabs are outside the debate completely?” challenged MK Moshe Gafni, who was quoted by the hareidi paper Hamevaser.

MK Meir Porush argued that the state has not historically been eager to enlist even those hareidi men who were eligible for mandatory service.

“According to figures provided by the Yeshivas Committee, thousands of men ages 18 to 28 stop [full-time Torah] learning every year,” he said. “Where were you all those years? Why did you not take advantage of the Tal Law?”

The Tal Law provided an automatic deferral of IDF service to men learning Torah full-time. Hareidi men who left Torah study in favor of higher education or work would have been obligated to enlist under the law.

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[Eleutheria5]

Hareidim, while less than fully supportive of the State of Israel, are at least not committed to murdering their fellow Jews. Some Arabs are. If they must be drafted, have it be building highways or cleaning up toxic dumps, or something.

[Jewbacca]

Yahadut Hatorah is not known for really solid policy choices. It’s really two parties, some of my more extreme in-laws being part of the Agudat Yisrael branch.

They have a fair amount of “gimme stuff” policy demands that make me ill.

I so wish there was a strong-defense and Zionist/nationalist, libertarian, but not liberal, party in Israel — I am a Orthodox guy, but I think the government should have little or no role in trying to force observance on the citizenry — it just doesn’t work and corrupts both Judaism and the government.

I’d also end all the gimmes the Shas party demand. I work so I can pray, they should to.

[Eleutheria5]

That’s why I voted Bayit Yehudi this election, for all the reasons you cited. My rabbi went for Otzmah, but I didn’t care for their showy little stunts, and was never a big fan of Kahane.

[Jewbacca]

I did not, but it’s mainly because I have a personality conflict with a couple of the guys.

I don’t disagree with your choice, however.