Leading rabbis from Sephardic and Hasidic communities convened this week at Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Schechter's home in Jerusalem, aiming to strengthen Charedi opposition to mandatory IDF service.
Rabbi Schechter expressed firm opposition to enlistment, stating, "Every young man who joins the army is committing a terrible act of kefirah." Rabbi Moshe Tzadka, head of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, echoed this sentiment, reportedly saying on Kol Chai radio, "We must be willing to sacrifice ourselves over this issue."
The meeting concluded with this decision: establish a national fund to support legal battles against the drafting of yeshiva students. This fund will also assist those arrested for refusing enlistment and work on various fronts to prevent the implementation of the conscription law for the Charedi community.
A letter from the Vizhnitz Rebbe was read aloud, declaring support for the meeting's resolutions and stating, "It is a great mitzvah and sacred duty to support these important activists."
The issue is a source of never-ending tension in Israeli society, with Charedim decrying it, ignoring the draft orders and hoping the issue will go away, while on the other side, those who do serve in the IDF feel that it is unfair that Charedim get to live in Israel without doing their part for the country's safety and security.