Yair Lapid has made his opposition to the exemption of chareidim in army service a cornerstone of his political ideology. I think that he is very wrong.
The truth is that I do think that the chareidim and the extreme Leftists who have been finding lots of loopholes to to get out of IDF service should serve. But there’s one thing for sure. Yair Lapid’s hateful and spiteful tirades against the exemption for chareidim will only make them oppose army service more. And all those religious people who support him, like Dov Lipman, should take Lapid’s rabid anti-chareidi statements more seriously. Lapid doesn’t have the personality characteristics to make him a national leader of the State of Israel.
Chareidim aren’t a small marginal part of the Israeli demographics, the way they were seventy years ago as the modern State of Israel came into being. A very large portion of the First Graders each year are in various chareidi educational frameworks, and the percentage shows no real sign of shrinking. One of the big problems in chareidi society and families is the vast difference in educational curriculum between the girls and the boys. The girls generally study enough English and math to pass the Bagrut, Matriculation exams, study a profession and support their families. The boys have an extremely limited curriculum, which sometimes even ignores Hebrew as a spoken language, besides not teaching English and Mathematics. This not only limits professional opportunities, but it can make for difficult homelife.
Lapid’s We’re done being suckers statements only makes army service into an unbearable burden for fools/”suckers,” rather than an opportunity to serve one’s country, mature, make lifelong friends and even learn a profession or complete a Bagrut Diploma.
I have no doubt that by being amenable, understanding and sympathetic, plus offering an extensive “end of service educational package,” more and more chareidim will decide that it is to their advantage to serve in the IDF. To make it more chareidi-suitable, the teachers should be male, preferably religious/chareidi, and some (eventually all) will be graduates of the program who undergo professional teacher training with the option of a recognized teaching license. The added bonus will be a new cadre of chareidi men qualified to teach academic subjects in all frameworks. That’s the educational revolution that must happen here in Israel, the sooner the better.
There are people who can always find the best in a situation and feel fulfilled, while others see it in negative light.
I very much disagree with the sentence that Lapid’s statement makes the army service an unbearable burden. It isn’t his statement. It is the fact of life for many. My children grew up knowing they would serve, even looking forward to it. They wanted the opportunity to serve. One had a fulfilling experience, and one had 18 months of “unbearable burden”. This is what is it. It is not an “opportunity” if it is a draft. If an 18-year-old is mature enough to make the best of a difficult situation, it becomes an opportunity. I’m not saying everyone must serve as a combat soldier. I don’t want the security of my family to fall on the shoulders of cowards. But as a small nation that has proven the good that comes from service, everyone who is mentally and physically able should have the “opportunity” to sign up for a service that fits them. Yom Ha-100 for all! As a last word, if you think Lapid is over-reacting, can I suggest you look at the situation from the point of view of a family whose sub-culture determined their children wouldn’t have a choice? Isn’t it wrong that the law is different for citizens depending on their lifestyle?
Not every soldier has a fighting job in the IDF. Those who are more suited to other positions should apply. There are many ways of serving.
Exactly! 100%. That doesn’t mean the time serving – even in a job that you picked – won’t be boring or hurtful. There are many ways that people can find service to be a burden. It’s just the way it is. That’s why it’s so hurtful to everyone when a part of the population has a choice.