When it comes to the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox men to the Israel Defense Forces, I am torn. One the one hand, I served as an officer in the Armored Corps and was badly injured in the Yom Kippur War. On the other hand, I believe Torah study is paramount.
While I believe every Israeli should be required to serve in the military or perform some kind of national service, I am also of the view that sharing the burden is more than just a campaign slogan to win votes on the right or left. I wholeheartedly believe that military service is one of the noblest manifestations of liberty and freedom the Jews have after thousands of years of exile. Military service should not be regarded as a mere legal duty but a privilege that carries historic significance.
Having said that, in our postmodern world, where ideologies are tossed out the window and core beliefs are being discarded, in which civilizations clash and uncertainty abounds, Torah study is an insurance policy that guarantees the Jewish people's eternal survival. The Jewish people have defied the odds of history by thriving and growing in the face of the worst forms of persecution, in no small part because of Torah study and because of the power of faith. This is why I don't have any sympathy toward those who pretend to be yeshiva students just to avoid military service. I believe they hurt those who actually do dedicate themselves to Torah study.
The haredi ministers have insisted that their de facto exemption from military service be cemented in a new law before the Knesset goes on recess, and have vowed to withhold support for the 2019 state budget bill until they get what they want. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has warned that this could result in his party leaving the coalition, saying that when Israelis sit around the Seder table this Passover, they will either have a new budget or a new finance minister.
Meanwhile, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, whose party is staunchly against a new exemption law, has warned he too might pull out of the coalition if the haredi draft bill passes. Lieberman and Kahlon are trying to play to their voters. But when the haredi parties try to do the same thing, they are called extortionists.
Politics is the art of the possible. Those who have the best interest of the country in mind, and those who want to ensure there are no more territorial concessions by the Left, should try to avoid making threats. It is best to try to find creative ways to bridge the ideological gaps. Being part of a coalition comes with its share of grievances, but this is what democracy is all about.
Our system of government is based on forming a coalition comprising a host of various elements. If everyone pulled their own way, the government would not function. As the Talmud teaches, if everyone pulls the tallit, it will ultimately be torn and everyone will lose. Or as a famous Israelis politician once said: Israel is the last place where one should bet on the outcome of early elections.
Haredi participation in the IDF has challenged Israeli policymakers from the early days of statehood because it deals with a core matter of our identity. Ideological matters should be resolved through our intellect and good will, not through might.
We should put our country first – a country that has seen an ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth, which welcomes a variety of worldviews, where everyone is a witness to the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption. The leaders of this generation, from every segment of society, have a special duty to perform and heavy responsibility on their shoulders. They should step up to the plate and find a compromise.
