Haredim, Army and Work
In the United States, most Haredim go to work, but in Israel, most Haredim do not go to work. What is the meaning of this change?
Why don’t the Haredim in Israel establish military companies that are 100 percent aligned with the spirit of the Torah? After all, this is the problem of the Haredim who don’t serve in the army, because of the poor conditions in the army from a spiritual perspective.
Who is the question addressed to? Do you see an ultra-Orthodox spokesperson here who will answer you on their behalf?
I assume that Haredi will answer you that besides the problem of conforming to the spirit of the Torah, there is the problem of allowing those who want to do so to study Torah in a yeshiva without interruption. In other words, the concern is not only secularization in the army, but also loss of study time. They will probably also tell you that studying Torah is equal in its contribution to the people of Israel to military service, and therefore it does not violate equality.
Some say that the Haredim in America are a disgrace in terms of rank.
The question is based on an incorrect assumption. The thought process is as follows:
They don't go to the army.
There is a mandatory draft.
Conclusion: So they stay in the yeshiva.
If you are in the yeshiva until the age of 26, you will usually be blessed with children. How exactly do you want them to go to study for a degree?!
If you really want the Haredim to work, give them an exemption at the age of 18.5.
Allow free academic studies.
And wait 20 years.
Let them feel that they are obligated to the army but give them an exemption anyway.
There are two problems, military and economic. Regarding the first, the problem is the blanket exemption in advance, because in fact a quarter of the Malshevs do not enlist and half of the Jobniks enlist only to motivate the troops. If the army, God forbid, decides to be effective, then the troops will really feel like suckers and we will have a problem. Moreover, the army does not really want Haredim. The state understands that “Jewish-democratic” is not one size fits all. It is not economically feasible to establish entire combat battalions in the Netzah Yehuda style, it simply does not pay off financially. Of course, we need to do the maximum possible, including national service in the fire department, MDA, etc. The significant problem is economic. The thing is that truly and sincerely tens of percent of working Haredi women want their husbands to sit in kollels. That is fine, we just need to see that the state as a collective is not a partner in this matter. And here, secularists for generations on the left and right are complicit in this crime.
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