Q&A: Reserve Duty
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Reserve Duty
Question
The government wants to draft reservists who received an exemption. The thing is that those brazen Haredim they don't even consider drafting, and I'm already fed up. Is it permissible to avoid the draft as a protest?
Answer
In my opinion, absolutely.
Discussion on Answer
Gilad, the injustice cries out to heaven, and really, sorry, but I no longer have any desire to argue about this. In general, I recommend channeling your energy into drafting Haredim.
The question that needs to be asked is whether this is what will help. In the long run—maybe; in the short run—it won't, and it will probably even cause harm. In addition, the question basically ignores the essential difference between each population and its stage of readiness to help with defense and security missions.
Whoever enlists and serves in the reserves feels practical responsibility for what is happening and for the security of the state, and therefore the state understands that in an emergency (like now) it can make use of pools of people who served and until now there wasn't such a vital need for them. At this stage, the Haredi community is not something one can build on—both because no matter how many sanctions you impose, if he doesn't want to serve it won't really change anything, and also because even if tomorrow the entire Haredi community came on its own to the induction center, it doesn't have even the most basic training to hold a weapon, and it would only be able to help in the long term. Someone who had an exemption may be a bit rusty, but he has the knowledge, experience, and understanding of how a soldier and fighter is supposed to conduct himself.
Regardless, it's obvious that the claim at the basis of the question is correct, and perhaps protest on the issue as well. But on such a sensitive issue, it isn't enough—and won't help—to be right; you have to be smart.