Secular Israelis pay for the ultra-Orthodox free ride
Israeli society, the military and - no less - the ultra-Orthodox community need shaking up. This must start with the shelving of the Tal Law.
Haaretz Editorial Tags: IDF Orthodox JewsThe law that perpetuates discrimination in favor of the ultra-Orthodox community at the expense of secular people - known as the Tal Law after retired Supreme Court Justice Zvi Tal - has justified its opponents' fears and proved wrong its supporters' pretensions. The law grants official sanction to yeshiva students who seek to evade full compulsory military service while enjoying the rights of soldiers.
Members of the secular majority, meanwhile, continue to enlist, serve and sacrifice three years of their lives - and sometimes their lives themselves - while the ultra-Orthodox continue to choose between total evasion of military service and preferential enlistment conditions. This inequality is patently unconstitutional - and it's amazing the masses haven't taken to the streets in protest.
Originally the law was supposed to apply for five years. As is accepted practice, and as was to be expected, when the time came for the law to expire, it was extended for another five years. It's now due to expire again and the politicians - who are about to face elections and fear the ultra-Orthodox parties much more than the secular voters - are looking for an excuse to extend it once again.
It seems a difference of opinion has arisen between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of the Knesset's Atzmaut faction, Ehud Barak. Netanyahu is asking for another five years while Barak only wants one. This is one more illustration of the cowardice of the defense minister who many years ago was a courageous soldier.
There is no big difference between one year and five years because the government, either this one or the next, will be able to request an extension once again. The General Staff's position is that the Israel Defense Forces has priority over whom it calls up to the army (according to the needs and skills required ), and that it will increase the remuneration to anyone who serves for more than a year while the others, the ultra-Orthodox and Arabs, do a year of national service. If Barak, as he says, relies on the General Staff's position, he must take steps now to introduce legislation in this spirit.
Barak returned to the Defense Ministry four and a half years ago. He should have prepared for the Tal Law's expiry last year and not looked for excuses to postpone the process for another year. Israeli society, the military and - no less - the ultra-Orthodox community need shaking up. This must start with the shelving of the Tal Law.
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They should serve the country in any capacity that the State wishes: If not directly in the army ,then in other fields where they are needed. But one thing should be clear,they cannot while away their time in useless politics & 0n the other hand come begging to the government to subsidize their mode of living. Famous Rabbis in the past Studied,taught & worked for their living. Take an example from them.
Our Welfare Queens do not demand to run the nation.
Israel has no constitution, how can a law be unconstitutional?
"This inequality is patently unconstitutional - and it's amazing the masses haven't taken to the streets in protest." Amazing? Hardly. Once again Ha'aretz focuses on the minority in error. Secular Israelis are sufferinig? Again, hardly. Sure, you hear some grumbling about how ultra-orthodox are annoying but how can the so-called 'secular Jews' in Israel complain about preferential treatment of 'religious Jews' when they themselves are enjoying preferential treatment in Israel over anyone with non-Jewish status? Even within the Jewish population there are levels of Jewry: Russian Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Yemenite Jews. At the top are religious Ashkenazi Jews. The premise is the same: some are superior to others. The sufferers? Not Jews.
Same old Haaretz anti Chareidi stuff! Can't you think up something new with which to attack the chareidim? How about "Chareidim should not be volunteering to serve in Hatzola - or Yad Sarah - or ZAKA" or any other of the nation-wide non-denominational free services which are set up by and mainly staffed by Chareidim?
The only way out for secular Israelis is to start practising civil disobedience.
Ultra-Orthodox pay for Secular Israelis to be able to STAY ISRAELI
We hasidim live like parasites off the secular, yet we have no problem lecturing them how to dress, where to sit and who can sing. This scares me - Hasidic arrogance that is. The secular Israel needs to make a tough choice whether they want to confront this idiocy or stay quit. If they prefer to stay quite, theyight as well leave Israel altogether as this problem won't go away. Hasidim dont serve and don't pay taxes. I was always able to exchange money on the black market. We don't pay tax but we demand full grants and programs to raise our kids contrary to the very ideals of the Israeli establishment. Why not do this? Those Hasidim who are against the very idea of an Israeli state, toldos aaron, neturei karta etc their neiborhoids should be returned to palastine. And those who believe in a Torah ruling but are for Israel, should not enjoy any exclusion of the idf
This country needs a Jewish party to unite many sectors. The splintering nature of the current political setup has the majority, non-ultra orthodox, giving far too many benefits to this sector. Don't blame the ultra-orthodox. The majority need to take responsibility. The problem with the secular left is that there is no leftist secular theme than can unite in a large way. History shows that the secular left then start to hate and turn to violence. Therefor the so called intellectuals on the left, who do not want to see civil war, should understand this and should be encouraging the fold to return to moderate Judaism which can be the uniting force.
This is one of many inequalities which are a plague to Israël society and will destroy it in the medium term. A lot of the work has allready been achieved.
France is one of the most racist, xenophobic and intolerant societies in the West. Go clean up the mess in your own backyard before look over the fence to complain about the mess in ours.
...all the big rabbis are saying its totally forbidden to enter the IDF and be forced into immorality. IDF rabbis are resigning over this one. Any real Jew would refuse to obey a law that was directly against the Code of Jewish Law.