ISRAEL (VINnews) — In a new op-ed piece, right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed that while he personally believes that Charedim should serve in the IDF, it would be a mistake to dissolve the government’s coalition over the highly divisive issue.
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Smotrich speculated that Benny Gantz would offer Charedim a full exemption from the draft if they are willing to abandon Bibi Netanyahu. He emphasized that he would prefer to encourage Charedim to enlist in the IDF through heartfelt sentiment, by convincing them it is the right thing to do, rather than attacking.
In the powerful column published in Friday’s Makor Rishon, Smotrich wrote: “If there is anyone who believes that after the next elections, Gantz will not give the Charedim a hundred-year exemption in some Israel-bluff legislation, if they agree to betray Netanyahu and form a government with him – I have a house to sell him on the moon.”
He later wrote: “It is…as if the previous government, which served for more than a year without a single haredi, took even one step towards the conscription of Charedim.”
Smotrich went on to say that despite the differences over the contentious issue, the partnership with the Charedi parties must not be severed.
“We have a major disagreement with the Charedim on the conscription issue, but it would be a grave mistake to break the political alliance with them over it. In the past year, as Minister of Finance, I have taken significant steps to promote the integration of Charedim in the army and the job market. I have repeatedly said that such a coalition with the Charedim can and should be an opportunity to work together.”
He added, “I try to present the claim for partnership to the Charedi public from a heartfelt sentiment, as a moral, Torah, Jewish and national claim, and not as a place of attacking, and as such I believe that this will be accepted and will be much more productive than threats of fire and criticism, even if they are extremely justified.”
“I believe that our political alliance with the national camp, including the Likud and the haredim, is the right thing for religious Zionists and for the country. Of course, we do not boycott anyone and have nothing against forming broader governments…”
Toward the end of the scathing piece he wrote: “During the previous term we experienced the alternative – a partnership with Israel’s enemies and the radical left, which despises religious Zionism, far from any flavor of Judaism and is estranged from the Land of Israel”
About time that a significant number of “Chareidim” have to do some form of national service. Other Israelis have been doing this for them for many years. Beware – fighting this may lead to worse consequences for the frum communities in Eretz Yisrael.
Minister Smotrich is favoring the Chareidi parties over those who put him in office. At this point, the vast majority of the Dati Leumi community feel that it is necessary for Chareidim to do their part toward defending Am Yisrael – after all, the DL Bnei Yeshiva are on the front lines doing so, and their Torah learning is no less valuable than that of the Chareidim. There’s a reason the latest polls show that Smotrich’s party is likely to not make it into the next Knesset.
Based on current polls, Ganz will be PM without Charedim or Arabs. Then the Charedim will get what they want, what they were willing to tear the country over with Judicial reform. They will get a law specifying exactly what someone needs to do to be a citizen here. Unfortunately for them it will be the opposite of what they are looking for. People will not forget that while their sons and daughters were fighting and dying for the survival of Israel, 100,000 Yeshiva students couldn’t even spend one day a week going to the farms that so desperately need help.
“Toward the end of the scathing piece he wrote: “During the previous term we experienced the alternative – a partnership with Israel’s enemies and the radical left, which despises religious Zionism, far from any flavor of Judaism and is estranged from the Land of Israel”” Of course, any flavor of Zionism is extremely far from any flavor of Judaism. But that’s besides the point.