Thu, February 16, 2012 Shvat 23, 5772
BREAKING NEWS
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07:43
Chinese pro-government newspaper says foreign meddling in Syria could derail world economy (Reuters)
I enjoyed this well-conceived comparison. It could be argued that the difference between the two situations is that the university academics are not seeking to negotiate or impose a direct role for themselves in IDF planning and operations. Presumably hesder rabbis can impress upon their IDF interlocutors that they too have no wish to determine IDF planning and operations, and that there is a distinction between their civil disobedience and their absolute respect for discipline in their military roles. Because the alternative is - not that they are necessarily perceived as 'bad' Israelis - but that they will find the hesder constantly undermined by the civil-military distinction which is a basic feature of Western democracy.