IDF, Draft

IDF wants purely Haredi brigade; Haredi journalist: The Rabbis won't approve the draft of a Haredi with a smartphone

Two Haredi journalists clashed over whether a large-scale draft of Haredim is desirable and achievable for Haredi society.

Protest against the draft, 2017. (Photo: David Cohen/Flash90)

Two Haredi journalists debated on Army Radio whether a large-scale or even official draft of Haredim is feasible, according to Bechadrei Charedim.

Journalist Yoeli Brim reported the details of the new Haredi brigade the IDF is trying to form:

1. No women in the brigade. Soldiers will not encounter female soldiers or commanders from the moment of recruitment until their discharge.

2. A civilian-Rabbinic body will be formed with the Defense Ministry, comprised of Rabbis, which will instruct commanders as to religious rules.

3. Commanders will be solely observant men, with an emphasis on members of the Haredi community.

4. A pre-draft track of two weeks so Haredi enlisted men can get to know the IDF.

5. A formal commitment by the soldier to maintain religious observance and the Haredi way of life.

6. The first draft order and the process of enlistment will be done by Haredi staff.

Despite these concessions, Haredi journalist Yanki Farber dismissed these efforts, saying that the efforts at forcing the issue through denial of funds and budgets has only made resistance even greater.

Furthermore, he argued that no Rabbi will officially approve a draft of a Haredi draft-eligible man even if he has a "yogurt cover" sized kippa and walks around with a smartphone, which is prohibited by Haredi interpretation of Jewish religious law.

While there are Haredim who serve in designated units in the IDF such as Netzach Yehudah, Farber argued that those were volunteers who were never given public, official permission.

On a final note, Farber noted that Haredi leaders cannot sign off on a draft for the simple reason that normalizing seeing religious soldiers will allow many Haredim who struggle with learning in yeshivah another option for living as a Haredi. This would lead to the collapse of the Haredi "learning society," something which Haredim considered unacceptable.


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