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Last update - 20:24 12/03/2008 Shas slams IDF plan to decrease Haredi exemption from army By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Haredi, IDF, army exemption The Shas political party slammed an Israel Defense Forces initiative Wednesday which aims to decrease the number of Haredi exemptions from the army for religious reasons, maintaining it is an "illegal" act. A senior IDF officer said on Wednesday that the number of Israeli citizens who are exempt from IDF service for religious reasons will decrease in the coming years as a result of intensive negotiations between the IDF and the heads of various religious factions. The officer maintained that the IDF aims to bring a sharp decrease in the number of those exempt from army service because of religious reasons to five percent in the next 10 years. Currently, almost 100 percent of Haredi males do not enlist because of religious reasons, which constitutes 11.5 percent of each year's overall enlistment. Advertisement In response to the IDF statement, Shas sources said that "the whole issue of minimizing the religious arrangement is an illegal procedure." Sources told Haaretz that Shas chairman- Employment, Trade and Industry Minister Eli Yishai- discussed the issue of exemption from the IDF for yeshiva youth with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and with Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week, and it was concluded that the current arrangement would not change. Sources in Shas said that the recent report coming from IDF senior officers has no basis. "Since every decision in the military needs approval from the defense minister, it is advisable that the statement regarding decreasing the numbers of those receive exemptions should not been released," they said. In March, 800 yeshiva students are due to enlist in the IDF, and will be placed in combat positions throughout various infantry brigades. Related articles: Haaretz TV: First Haredi secret agent completes successful drug sting Gov't aims to lure Haredi men to workforce with IDF exemption IDF enlists exempt Haredi youth who feigned mental illness Bookmark to del.icio.us   Not even for Natalie A Haredi actor quits Natalie Portman's latest film due to rabbis' protests. Al-Jazeera boycott Al-Jazeera slams Israeli boycott as attack on free expression.   1.   Is it right to ask them to 20:17  |  Mark Lincoln 12/03/08   2.   get rid of the loopholes 21:43  |  judith 12/03/08   3.   No serve, no vote 22:48  |  W 12/03/08   4.   yeshiva 22:51  |  jorge grosz 12/03/08   5.   zealots, pick up an uzi 23:19  |  david gold 12/03/08   6.   let us be serious 23:22  |  for a while 12/03/08   7.   Halacha dictates that all serve 23:47  |  Marc 12/03/08   8.   Shas- We are all so discusted with you 00:50  |  Jack 13/03/08   9.   the Shas whore does NOT service the LEFT for free 01:12  |  Moshe 13/03/08   10.   Question: 02:19  |  R 13/03/08   11.   3. No serve, no vote? 03:51  |  Chaim 13/03/08   12.   I once suggested a draft of Republicans 04:42  |  Mark Lincoln 13/03/08   13.   Shas all take and no give 11:38  |  SJ 13/03/08   14.   All Israelis must serve 14:07  |  petra 14/03/08   15.   WAS ABRAHAM, MOSES, KING DAVID EXEMPT? 14:11  |  petra 14/03/08   16.   No. 11, Chaim 16:59  |  W 14/03/08   17.   WHY DONT THEY SERVE? IS IT BECAUSE THEY HATE THEMSELVES!! 22:55  |  Yechiel Haredi 14/03/08   18.   The soldiers from Shas 18:50  |  SJ 15/03/08   19.   SAFRA VE-SAIFAH 11:11  |  Jay A Friedman 16/03/08   20.   Doing the dirty work for Shas 12:08  |  Gay Soldier 16/03/08

Today Online IAF resumes Gaza strikes, kills 3 Islamic Jihad men Responses: 82 Gideon Levy: Barak trying his best to ruin peace process Responses: 22 Uzi Benziman: Hawkish Israeli public leaves no room for Meretz Responses: 9 Bush to push Israel, PA for progress before his May visit Responses: 24 Rosner's Domain If you marry them, you have a better chance of keeping them State Department: UN measures fuel anti-Semitism (WTR) Poll: Is the "road map" still relevant? Neocons and the cultural proclivity of Jews (WTR) General Fraser and the third whiner More Headlines 11:17 Netanyahu files NIS 2M libel suit over Ch. 10 spending expose 11:19 IAF strike kills three Islamic Jihad militants in northern Gaza 09:34 ANALYSIS: Say goodbye to quiet after Gaza militant deaths 12:36 Chief Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to meet this week 08:18 Report: Syria wants 'public' peace talks with Israel 10:04 Treasury finally admits: Israel facing economic slowdown 12:26 Report: Eichmann intervened to save 800 Jews in Berlin in WW2 07:11 Bush to push Israel, PA for progress before his May visit 10:55 Falashmura slam gov't treatment of immigration applications 11:59 Dalai Lama: World must investigate possible cultural genocide in Tibet 12:23 Woman wounded from gunfire in suspected 'honor killing' attempt 02:34 Merkel to arrive in Israel, will be first chancellor to address Knesset Previous Editions Select Day 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar

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