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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Vishnitzer Rebbe instructs followers not to report for draft

Until now, all Haredim have been reporting for the initial screening at the IDF draft headquarters with the exception of followers of Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach. And it has been the followers of Rabbi Auerbach who have been arrested. If all the Haredim en masse were to refuse to even show up for the draft - a tactic that was discussed and deferred shortly after the 'equalization of the burden' law was passed - the government would be left in the untenable position of mass disobedience of the law, and not enough jail cells to hold those who refuse to register.

Now, it seems that at least one large group will stop appearing for draft registration. The Vishnitzer Rebbe has told his Hasidim not to show up for the initial registration and screening.
"People are walking around in a state of embarrassment and confusion, there are harsh and terrible decrees here in Israel on military affairs," the rabbi wrote.
"They send letters to come and report to the recruitment bureau, and if one fails to report – they threaten to jail him,” he added. "People receive letters – the first summons, the second summons, the third summons – and it says that their child must report, and they do not know what will happen, and start to think – 'here come the police to take our son into custody.'"
"So the first thing is not to panic, and to trust the Creator... do not pay any attention to all the letters that arrive from them," he counseled. "Parents should treat the order as if it is just some kind of note, and ignore all letters from the army. Of course, as I have said, you must increase Torah study, and thus the decrees will be cancelled."
Despite the recent changes in legislation regarding hareidi military service, the three councils of hareidi Torah sages have not changed their longstanding decisions regarding service. This means that the haredi public has continued to report to the first summons, except for a faction of the followers of Rabbi Auerbach who ignore the summons.
The real question is how many more will follow. The more Haredi leaders who tell their followers not to report, the greater the chance for a mass insurrection. One can only look on with amazement at the fact that the Knesset did not anticipate this. 

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posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:28 PM

2 Comments:

At 5:12 PM, Blogger Red Tulips said...

Until any Haredi rabbis tell their congregants to not accept a single penny of government money, and not use state-funded healthcare or state-subsidized rail lines or drive on state roads, I will not be impressed. Otherwise, if you don't like the draft, no one is forcing you to live in this country. If the USA had a mandatory draft in any way equivalent to Israel, I would serve, no questions asked. The Vishnitzer Rebbe loves all the perks of living in a first world country, and none of the responsibilities.

 
At 1:02 PM, Blogger mannie165 said...

I agree with Red Tulips.
Hit them in their pockets where it hurts.

 

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