Netanyahu backs Barak on ouster of yeshiva from IDF program

"He gave Israel all the land that Abraham saw." (el) That's a flagrant lie. In Abraham's days, there was no Israel, UN state member. What would be with the UNO if its members were allowed to appeal each to its own holy scriptures? You want Jewish sovereignty on all Eretz-Israel to be unquestioned? Then pray for an Israeli government prepared to formally annex it, granting citizenship to all its population. Or, alternatively, do come up with a practicable way to make its Muslim population disappear - that would not bring an Israeli PM to be judged in The Hague.

" ... it is immoral to ask Jews to participate in the ethnic cleansing of fellow Jews." (Chaim Ben Kahan) Asking fellow Jews to temporarily freeze building amidst a foreign and stateless population, in a land outside Israel's declared sovereignty - is no "ethnic cleansing". Who do you think you can fool with this flagrant nonsense? Who - except yourself? "There is nothing more despicable than the use of religious sanctions in conflicts between nations and states." From an Open Letter to then-PM Begin, 1980, by Jacob Talmon (1916-1980), then Professor of Modern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Israel Prize for Social Sciences. www.fmep.org/analysis/analysis/a-prophetic-message-from-the-past In 1980, when our foolish settlement enterprise was still in infancy, and we had heard nothing yet of Hamas.

the defense minister's actions "destroy the idf, ruin national unity, and eat away at the foundations of democracy". not at all rabbi, it is your yeshiva hesder program that works to destroy the idf, ruin national unity, and above all...erode the foundations of democracy. the idf serves the government of israel; NOT the will of religious zealots who use their position in an attempt to shape and/or manipulate government policy. the whole union between the idf and these yeshivas should be severed completely... the program is a detriment to the idf as a military entity... as is evidenced now by this latest threat from hesder members and graduates.

we are praying for you and Isarael. Remember the convenant that the Lord God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob where He gave Israel all the land that Abraham saw. God will be with you at this time. Don't back down as the people need this land. We here in the U.S would'nt like anybody tell us that we can't built if we have the land.The Lord is the only one that can give the peace That Israel is looking for. We care for Israel as we feel that they are our family too.

when it came to the extremist incitement of idf troops by right wing religious elements who labeled the gaza offensive a "religious war" and called on them to spare no one? maybe the idf needs to start asking itself just how detrimental its association with these yeshivas really is; not only in regard to descipline, but also to its proclamation of being "the most righteous army in the world".

the defense minister's actions "destroy the idf, ruin national unity, and eat away at the foundations of democracy". not at all rabbi, it is your yeshiva hesder program that works to destroy the idf, ruin national unity, and above all...erode the foundations of democracy. the idf serves the government of israel; NOT the will of religious zealots who use their position in an attempt to shape and/or manipulate government policy. the whole union between the idf and these yeshivas should be severed completely... the program is a detriment to the idf as a military entity... as is evidenced now by this latest threat from hesder members and graduates.

The Haredim who riot on the Sabbath and who refuse to serve in the IDF and who disobey orders from their commanders are no better than the mullahs in Iran. Israel is becoming a nation with two political parties - the far right and Haredi mullah's who want a theocracy. Israel does not need to fear the threat from Iran when the internal threat from the right wing extremists and the haredim are tearing the country apart and going to engulf the entire region in an armageddon. These same Haredim said it was ok to murder Rabin. They are going to destroy the State of Israel. Deport them!

" ... it is immoral to ask Jews to participate in the ethnic cleansing of fellow Jews." (Chaim Ben Kahan) Asking fellow Jews to temporarily freeze building amidst a foreign and stateless population, in a land outside Israel's declared sovereignty - is no "ethnic cleansing". Who do you think you can fool with this flagrant nonsense? Who - except yourself? "There is nothing more despicable than the use of religious sanctions in conflicts between nations and states." From an Open Letter to then-PM Begin, 1980, by Jacob Talmon (1916-1980), then Professor of Modern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Israel Prize for Social Sciences. www.fmep.org/analysis/analysis/a-prophetic-message-from-the-past In 1980, when our foolish settlement enterprise was still in infancy, and we had heard nothing yet of Hamas.

Freedom of speech should be guarded absolutely and always. the army is a different and special; however, in israel conscientious objection(for a variety of reasons) from the Left is tolerated, so it should be tolerated from the right. ironically, the right is actually the liberal ideology: they do not believe in discrimination (i.e., displacing people from their homes because of their religion or creed, in this case, jews). an high percentage of the best fighters in our military come from these yeshivas. and they are the best because they believe in the morality of their/our cause. and this cause originates in the belief of human rights for all, even for jews. mr. barak's decision is shortsighted and shallowminded. his position actually requires a lot greater reflection.

Unfortunately, when a right-leaning prime minister decides to be smart, nuanced and objective about the issues, he is labelled as someone who "has no spine." Friend, just thank G-d he has a brain and, unlike what other backboned right-wingists will have you believe, the two are not mutually exclusive.

Bravo for Bibi and Barak. It's about time someone took a stand to defend democracy against the radical settlers who seek to undermine it. Civilian control of the military is crucial in any functioning democracy. The IDF and all those who serve in it must obey the orders of the elected government, even if some soldiers personally disagree with those orders. The Defense Ministry should sever its relationship with any hesder yeshiva that opposes this principle. If you disagree with evacuating settlements, then make your voice heard within Israel's democratic process. Vote for parties that share your position. Protest in the streets, if you feel so inclined. These are your democratic rights. Threatening the unity and integrity of the IDF--on which Israel's very existence depends--is not an acceptable way of expressing your beliefs. You're essentially blackmailing the government and, by proxy, the people of Israel who elected that government.

When you have a hesder yeshiva run by rabbis who wear big black hats(aka charadim), you already have a clue as to the problem. How do you have yeshivah leaders running hesder yeshivahs when their own children likely don't serve in the IDF? The modern orthodox/settler movement has made the mistake of turning over their yeshivas to charedi leadership. It's time to boot out the charedi hesder yeshiva heads and put kippot sruggot rabbis in there. If the rabbis' children don't serve in the IDF, they shouldn't be allowed to teach in the Hesder program.

The Rabbi feigns innocence, that he was only speaking his personal views, but he knows fully well how much of the national religious community would follow their rabbis over their officers. His words, and those of his peers, carry enormous weight and influence. He doesn't speak for himself but as the leader of an institution that depends on public money. He ought not be permitted to instruct his students to disobey lawful orders. And no, removing a Jewish community from disputed territory, especially ones that were built in disregard of any civil law, is not "ethnic cleansing". That sort of self-serving language of victimhood only makes the settlers look even more lawless and fanatic. Not a good idea given the public relations battles to come...

I have to agree. But I think it's been hitting the wall for a long time they just haven't noticed. Seems we have a better grip on how the world views them. They are so wrapped up in their own hate they seems to forget the rest of the world is fed up with their antics and incessant complaining.

dont turn yeshivas to political centers. rabbis and yeshivas should guide us to a better life and not guide us to terror and hate.

...this religious fanaticism is incredibly dangerous...have they not learned from Rabin's (or Gedalya's!!) assassination? They talk tough until their funds are cut off. who are they to challenge the political leadership of the state of Israel? This is not a matter for free speech, but the seeds of sedition and the fracture of israeli society. Whether they like it or not, this is not the way to behave: Rabbi--keep your thoughts to yourself or stop participating in Israeli programs-go and live as a Palestinian citizen in your enclaves in Hebron etc etc

"The defense minister's libels perhaps boost him politically but they destroy the IDF, ruin national unity, and eat away at the foundations of democracy," the rabbi said. The Rabbi does have a point here... If Israel is truely a democracy then it is morally wrong for trying to silence the Rabbi... We might not agree with him... but he does have the right at expression...

If the hesder soldiers are protesting (no surprise) discharge them all and they should join a kibbutz and work for a living. Todate the Israeli government pays for everything their studies (torah) and basic training. No other country does this. They are a negative to the Israel. They can also join up with the haredi and or the neturei karta. I am fed up with such people who mistake democracy so that they can go and damage Israel.

We are hearing that phrase bandied about a great deal from these fanatic circles. Like the rest of their vocabulary the term here is misplaced and hysterical.

As an American Jew, a Holocaust survivor and an American Korean War veteran, it is simply unheard of that people not in the Army are attempting to control the Army. If the Yeshiva people want to keep their noses in the Torah,OK and if they refuse to fight for Israel, that means obeying ALL orders, the their citizinship should be revoked. They enjoy their freedom thanks to present Israel and let the clergy remain on the Bima. Netenyahu is in charge and Barak in charge of defense. THEY DECIDE not some rabbi.

Mutiny and dissent are intolerable in an army and in face of our numerous enemies. On the other hand it is immoral to ask Jews to participate in the ethnic cleansing of fellow Jews.

Barakand Netanyahu are right on the money about this. Presently the situation of settlers rampaging alongside rabbis calling for sedition is very dangerous as it relates to international relationships. Sometimes when you are too close to a situation you cannot see the whole. In this case, the disgruntled settlers must come to see that if they upset the applecart of conservative US support, they risk it all, truly. This is a very serious matter and it must be squashed. The religious community may really beleive that they are in the terrotories by devine design, but the reality is that if they lose the politcal support that threads through US congressman from conservative states, it could give afirm toe hold to the factions within the admin that want to call for a demand they all leave and a Pal state be put in place without negotiations. These movements by rabbis are very, very naive.

The Rabbi absolutely has the freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean the government has to subsidize his open calls to disobey orders and encourage soldiers to resist legitimate government decisions.

Thanks to Barak. Every year, around 100 prospective students: This year, around 300. He should get a commission on them. And the trend will only grow and increase.

You can't trust a rabbi to make a military decision, and Israel SHOULD NOT!

10 downing street. they are just fooling you with this stories and you sheeps follow. you idiots made a pact with the beast from downing street but they are just exploiting you while they hate you the most according to the holocaust you stupid idiots. haters of the jews rule you stupid idiots. i guess it will be the end of the civilization before you will realize it.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed believes Jewish settlements in the West Bank reflect "inner truth". It does not. It reflects inner crazinessm. The rabbi's "independent principles" are based in anti-democratic, narrow minded bigotry that says that the West Bank is Jewish regardless of the Palastinians who live there, regardless of the existence of the Jewish State within the green line, and regardless of the demographic consequences if absorbing the West Bank into Israel. His advise to the IDF members to refuse to remove settlers makes disasociation of the IDF with his Yeshiva a no brainer. The only thing shocking is that he ever had funding from the state to begin with.

Israeli society is about to hit a wall. Couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer folks!

Bibi must be replaced as leader of Likud.......He is showing that he has no spine. Barak has Bibi around his little finger.