Q&A: Drafting Haredim
Drafting Haredim
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I saw on your site and in several other places where you were interviewed that if there is no alternative, the Haredim must be compelled to enlist no matter what. My question is: how exactly do you think that would happen? We see the demonstrations, the violence, and the increasing radicalization in the Haredi public; they are fighting back with all their strength and are ruling out no means for doing so. How could the army possibly draft by force so many Haredim who do not share at all the same basic assumptions that enlistment is an obligation and a matter of saving lives? It simply does not interest them, and from their perspective enlistment itself is a danger to the Haredi ideal, which advocates separatism, and therefore enlistment would collapse the walls—something they are absolutely unwilling to accept. How can people like this be drafted at all and trained for combat in Gaza? It seems to me very far-fetched and hopeless, and I would like to know how the Rabbi relates to this claim, and whether economic sanctions would be something that could break the Haredi ideal?
Answer
Who talked about using physical force or prison? I am talking about economic and other sanctions. If effective sanctions are imposed, they will all enlist at the speed of light.
Discussion on Answer
The fire is coming from groups that have been demonstrating all these years anyway—the extremists are becoming more extreme.
The majority, the consensus, the voters of the Haredi parties, are not using violence or blocking roads.
Besides, Rabbi Michi is right. More broadly, the threat of prison raises associations of a religious war and so on—it stirs emotions in that direction, and from many people's perspective it justifies the violence.
The young people also are not afraid of being arrested; for them it's an attraction. We're not talking about a Soviet prison, but detention at Beit Lid.
Economic sanctions, by contrast, slowly dry up the swamp, and you also can't really go out and demonstrate: Give us back our National Insurance discount, you accursed wicked people!
In addition, this is a central factor that will push young people to enlist. It is already doing that.
True, this is mainly for those who are less needed by the IDF—married men aged 22 and up, who have financial responsibilities. The yeshiva students don't care about economic sanctions, because they have no financial responsibility.
But it is a trend.
We are seeing an increase in enlistment rates now because of this, and we will see much, much more when the young people lose hope.
Many are sitting on the fence for a simple reason: they hope a law will pass that exempts them from enlistment.
The moment that hope is shelved—for example, when the government falls—you will see a growing trend.
Everything is a question of determination. If sanctions are imposed, they will run to enlist. And if they start a war, then break their arms and legs and everything will be fine.
At the moment there are not many sanctions, and it seems that even this little bit is making them fight back with road blockages and demonstrations at the enlistment offices, and in that way entrench themselves even more within the walls. If effective sanctions are imposed, it seems the Haredim will go all the way to civil war until they get what they want. Are you really sure they will give in so easily?