Since when is Torah study on par with military service?

If you’re asking the question, “To what lengths will the extreme religious parties, who are now in control of Israel, go,” the headline of this article may answer that!

United Torah Judaism (UTJ), one such ultra-Orthodox religious party represented in the current government coalition, has wasted no time introducing a law that will put Torah study on equal footing with serving in the IDF. 

Their reasoning is that it, too, is a supreme value in the heritage of our people. In other words, while young Israeli men and women are putting their lives on the line, risking all for the country they love, Torah students, in their institutions of learning, many of whom are attending solely out of obligation rather than personal desire, will be seen as exercising the same heroics.

With the impending deadline of the state, no longer granting an exemption from military service to the ultra-Orthodox as of March 31, 2024, a clever and novel way has been devised to bypass this sector of Israeli society from being drafted. Did anyone think that anything different would happen now that they control everything? 

Oddly enough, ultra-Orthodox religious Shas, the Haredi Sephardic Jewish political party, has claimed that they knew nothing about the proposed law by UTJ, declaring that they are in shock. Asserting that they were not consulted on the plan which was put forward, they claim to have consulted with a team of legal experts and party representatives, on this very issue a week ago. Consequently, they feel that UTJ’s pre-empted proposal may do damage to what could have been a better-crafted bill. They also believe the proposal could end up having the opposite effect of incitement against Torah students. 

Despite their differences, one thing shared by UTJ and Shas is that the idea of military conscription among the Haredi community (ultra-Orthodox), is anathema to what is considered by them to be holy and sacred. Without those young men and women fighting to defend our right to existence, their right to Torah study would also come to an abrupt end, which is something apparently lost on them.

Clearly, the opposition expressed harsh criticism of the proposed law, with its leader, Yair Lapid writing the following on Facebook:

“The day after canceling the reasonableness standard, the most unhinged coalition, in the State’s history is beginning to celebrate at our expense. The government of destruction that does not cease shouting about {reservists} refusals’ {to continue volunteering}, proposes the ‘draft-dodging and refusal to serve’ bill and even dares to call it Basic Law: Torah Study,” Lapid said.

The term 'Basic Law' refers to Israel’s set of laws which serves as a codified constitution – meaning that passage of the law ensures its survival into perpetuity since it will be considered a state right equal to all others.

Perhaps the one bright spot in all of this is that the Likud party, which is also part of the government coalition, has rejected the proposal, putting out their own statement: “Basic Law: Torah study is not on the table and will not be advanced.”

Further to that objection was yet another, made by former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who now serves as National Unity party chair. Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “Central in the lives of Jews over the generations,” the bill would be ‘empty’ the notion of the Army of the People, and would cause ‘strategic damage to the future of the State of Israel.’ Instead of a country that has a government, we are becoming a government that has a country.”

Just a few short weeks ago, The Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), frustrated by years of delay on the issue, filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to speed up the process of conscription for the Haredi male students. Unsuccessful in their bid, the court sided with the state to wait until March 2024 to proceed with a draft.  

Although each government has done its best to entice the Haredi community to join the military – even expanding benefits, making their service a much more attractive option – Haredi leadership has rebuffed all advances made on their behalf.  

As Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant so eloquently stated, “Serving in the IDF is the highest-level civil obligation. Learning Torah is an important foundation to maintain our [Jewish] spark and I have respect for such studies, but it is important to remember: There is no place for comparing IDF service to learning Torah. Defending the State in the form of IDF service is the supreme obligation. We will make sure that whoever gives more, receives more.” 

The notion of integrating the Haredi community into the military is a can that has been kicked down the road for far too many years. What began with an accommodation by Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion in 1948, exempting a small number of yeshiva students, expanded to a whopping 62,500 by the year 2010. 

Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be any patriotic loyalty towards the country that holds up Torah study as a revered value, something no other nation would officially recognize, but that sentiment of “God and Country” might yet penetrate these young men as difficult days begin to unfold.  

At a time when our enemies sense a weakened country, brought on by a population that no longer supports their government and vice versa, Torah students may have no alternative but to take up arms to defend their lives. Once the sound of falling rockets is heard over their institutions, the frightening noise may end up speaking louder than the voices of their leaders who have forbidden them to serve.

Only then, will there be true integration, because the greatest value in Judaism is that of life, and when faced with its end, there just might be a capitulation that will finally bring about a cohesion so sorely needed.  

Our slogan of “Am Israel Chai” (the people of Israel Live) can only be realized when each citizen does their part to defend the lives of all!