Elections, Haredi Draft?

Here we go Again: Elections

Elections are once again upon us and before the general elections, the Likud will be holding primaries for its Knesset roster, which promise to be high-pressured and extremely competitive. This time, there will be 27 current Knesset Members competing for 19 slots on the national list, as opposed to 12 MKs the last time. It is shaping up to be an all-out battle. Apparently, Moshe Feiglin will be one of only two candidates for the national list who are not currently serving MKs. Moshe's election is extremely important to advance the ideas for which we joined the Likud and politics. It is a realistic and significant opportunity and we must mobilize all our energies and courage to succeed. Moshe Feiglin's candidacy is much more than the candidacy of just another loyal MK – there are many of those, thank G-d. Feiglin in the Knesset sends an important and refreshing message. It is the beginning of the creation of a new leadership – a faith-based leadership for the National Camp and for the State of Israel. And now for some voting information: As the Likud primaries are rapidly approaching, the Likud voting book will soon be sealed. Now is the time for Likud members to make sure that they are eligible to vote and where they will be voting. Voting Eligibility and Voting Place Click here to check your voting eligibility and your polling place:  Enter you ID number into the box, submit and you will get your answer in Hebrew.  Change of Address and Voting Place If you have moved to a new address and want to vote near your new residence, you must notify the Likud that you want to register in a new Likud branch. To do so, please take the following simple steps: 1. Copy your Israeli identity card, including the part where your address appears. 2. On the copy, at the top of the page write: I would like to vote in the Likud branch near my home, or in Hebrew: מבקש לעבור לסניף במקום מגורי 3. Sign your request and fax it to the Likud computer department at 03-6210771. 4. Call 03-6210604 to make sure that your fax has been received. Register for the Likud http://www.mflikud.co.il/contents/hitpakdut/hitpakdut.pdf

Haredi Draft?: By Moshe Feiglin

11 Iyar, 5772 May 3, '12 The Knesset factions are in pursuit of legislation that will institute equal draft into the IDF – but something is fishy. The New Israel Fund's propaganda has made inroads, and it looks like the upcoming elections will focus on Haredi-bashing. It is true that the issue of Haredi enlistment in the IDF must be resolved in a fair and equal manner. But it looks like the new legislation is not a means, but rather, an end unto itself. So what is the solution? First, we must understand the problem: The problem is not lack of manpower in the IDF. The IDF is not really interested in the enlistment of thousands of Haredi conscripts. The problem is that it is not fair to exempt people from the army on a communal basis. Another aspect of the problem is that there are many Haredim who are not really capable of learning all day and into the night – just like in any other sector. But those Haredim who are registered at yeshivas cannot work because the exemption from enlistment requires them to remain within the walls of their institutions of higher learning. To solve the problem, we must get to its roots and ask ourselves if the IDF must really draft by coercion. In Mahar magazine we showed that a mandatory draft is not necessary and that Israel pays a high price in the economic, social and mainly security realms to preserve the ethos of the "People's Army." A professional, volunteer army will enhance security, cost less and will make the mandatory draft – for Haredim, radical leftists and other sectors who do not want to enlist – irrelevant. This solution, however, is not currently accepted by Israeli society, that has always been nurtured on the ethos of the "People's Army." This ethos serves the ruling elites, who do not want to yield the tremendous power that comes along with the ability to forcibly induct people into the army. As such, the true solution will have to wait, and we must find an interim solution. We can accept any law that will truly increase equality. This law must be approved by a broad consensus – both by the Haredim and the Arabs. It is important to understand that the Haredim are not afraid of the draft, but rather, from the attempts to override their traditions and customs by means of the army. This apprehension is not at all unfounded. If the IDF will convince the Haredim of the purity of its motives and will create a service framework for them that will not undermine all that is holy to them – it will be a huge blessing – first and foremost for the Haredim.

Video: Moshe Feiglin: Professional Volunteer Army for Israel

Click here for this video, in Hebrew with an English transcript: