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Ultra-Orthodox at a yeshiva. (Archives)
Last update - 23:51 06/03/2008
Barak refuses to exempt 1,000 Haredi men from army service
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: ultra-Orthodox, IDF, Israel 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak is refusing to exempt 1000 ultra-Orthodox students studying at new yeshivas from army service.

Barak instructed a team of officials in his ministry, headed by attorney Rut Bar, to reexamine the criteria of the yeshivas whose students are exempt from serving in the military and prepare possible changes to the current policy.

Barak's refusal to exempt the ultra-Orthodox comes after he was shown data in which he discovered that 900 yeshivas in Israel are exempt from army service, which amounts to some 50 thousand students.
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"The minister is fighting the draft dodgers," an official from the Defense Ministry said. "Barak refuses to be a rubber stamp on this matter."

If Barak continues to block the students' exemption, they will be sent draft invitations soon.

"Ehud Barak is looking for a way to break up the government," a top Shas official said in response Thursday, "and this is why he is opposing all of Shas' initiatives, even if they concern issues that relate to the entire public such as social security stipends."

"The Labor Party woke up this morning and found an agenda, and that is why it has decided to go against those who study Judaism for a living. This infracts on the coalition agreements signed by the Labor Party. Shas will not back down and whoever does not like it can leave the government," the Shas official added.

United Torah Judaism MK Avraham Ravitz said that the decision to not grant exemptions is not Barak's decision to make but is rather part of the Tal law that was extended recently.

Related articles:
  • Cabinet to extend Tal Law on army service for yeshiva students
  • IDF proposes replacement to Tal Law; PM expresses support
  • Tal Law exempting ultra-Orthodox from military service set to expire
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      1.   About time to 08:43  |  SJ 06/03/08
      2.   Make them serve Abolish the Tal Law 08:50  |  SJ 06/03/08
      3.   Haredi men exemptions 08:58  |  Judy 06/03/08
      4.   All they have to say is that .. 09:21  |  Zev 06/03/08
      5.   Who wants Haredim in army? 09:42  |  Yossi 06/03/08
      6.   Yeshivas 09:43  |  Naim S. Mahlab 06/03/08
      7.   UTJ, Shas are prostitutes of the LEFT, they won`t be drafted 09:59  |  Moshe 06/03/08
      8.   parasitic cranial infections 10:06  |  sptz 06/03/08
      9.   draft dodgers 10:09  |  ps 06/03/08
      10.   and what about the secular? 10:40  |  James 06/03/08
      11.   Silly Shas 12:41  |  Yonatan 06/03/08
      12.   #5 Yossi from Ra`anana - Why I want haredim in the IDF 12:47  |  Yonatan 06/03/08
      13.   Will Barak implement this?! 12:54  |  Esther 06/03/08
      14.   Good. Give us all guns so we can take over. 13:11  |  Jew 06/03/08
      15.   # parasite speaking about parasitic 13:21  |  A.M. 06/03/08
      16.   Are they kidding? 13:31  |  Sidney 06/03/08
      17.   Daft Olmert`s Sons 13:34  |  Jeffrey Segall 06/03/08
      18.   Overseas Comments 13:48  |  Shmuel 06/03/08
      19.   For all of us simple Jews 13:50  |  Sidney 06/03/08
      20.   # 16 Jefferey are you coming over to serve in the IDF 14:15  |  SJ 06/03/08
      21.   90% of those not going to army are NOT religious 14:17  |  sam 06/03/08
      22.   #17 Shmuel 14:21  |  Sidney 06/03/08
      23.   Draft the Buggers 14:51  |  MIKE 06/03/08
      24.   And draft the Arabs too - the biggest draft dodgers 16:10  |  Maya 06/03/08
      25.   Re Sam #21 16:24  |  Esther 06/03/08
      26.   Haredim in the IDF 16:24  |  Steve 06/03/08
      27.   Hide behind the Torah won`t save them 16:25  |  superjew 06/03/08
      28.   FINALLY BARAK PULLS THE RUG OUT FROM THE DRAFT DODGERS 16:26  |  dav zee 06/03/08
      29.   @18, shmuel, a lot of diaspora jews did serve in zahal. i did 16:30  |  vladimir 06/03/08
      30.   #12 You are suggesting "Shmad" 16:48  |  Avi Yerushalmi 06/03/08
      31.   Every One Must Serve In The IDF 16:53  |  Joseph . E 06/03/08
      32.   An injustice of Israeli society 16:58  |  Shalom Freedman 06/03/08
      33.   It is about time that someone 17:04  |  bobby 06/03/08
      34.   #SJ are you coming over - draft them 17:22  |  Israel 06/03/08
      35.   Israel not a true democracy 17:43  |  Marc 06/03/08
      36.   Number 22 Sidney 18:00  |  Shmuel 06/03/08
      37.   Excellent. It`s about time! 18:01  |  bat yam 06/03/08
      38.   Barak is quite correct. Live in Israel? Then national service. 18:13  |  common sense 06/03/08
      39.   army 18:19  |  levi 06/03/08
      40.   A good idea 18:38  |  Ofer Maimon 06/03/08
      41.   draft dodgers 19:18  |  bob 06/03/08
      42.   The real problem is corruption - moral, political & financial... 19:20  |  bat yam 06/03/08
      43.   Diaspora commentary 19:41  |  john 06/03/08
      44.   In a few years the whole IDF will be Haredei 20:46  |  Ani 06/03/08
      45.   All citizens must serve in IDF, NO EXEMPTIONS, PERIOD... 21:16  |  Misha 06/03/08
      46.   Yonatan 21:27  |  marbpl 06/03/08
      47.   We had them in my Yechida 00:06  |  * BEN JABO 07/03/08
      48.   Yeshivas are Being Attacked by Terrorists! 00:10  |  Efox 07/03/08
      49.   If times of danger... 00:29  |  Theodor 07/03/08
      50.   It`s torah! 02:13  |  Paul 07/03/08
      51.   Religion = 17:53  |  Paul 07/03/08
      52.   #35 Marc Toronto 20:56  |  * BEN JABO 07/03/08
      53.   Don`t send the Chadeidim here to Monsey... 09:59  |  J. 08/03/08
      54.   Don`t send the Chadeidim here to Monsey... 10:00  |  David 08/03/08
      55.   #53 & 54 - Monsey - why don`t you guys 03:27  |  * BEN JABO 10/03/08
      56.   A Miracale - #53 & #54 are IDENTICAL POSTS 05:56  |  * BEN JABO 10/03/08
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