JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF is not ready to absorb charedi recruits, and haredim have a good reason not to wish to enlist, according to Likud MK Galit Distel Atbaryan (Likud).
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Atbaryan, who is not charedi herself, expressed support for the charedi public, saying that the army is a “secularizing army.”
“What is happening to the charedi community is infuriating and sad,” Atbaryan told Arutz Sheva. “The charedim have no voice in the media, but they have a case and we need to listen to them. The campaign against them is so populist.”
“It’s evident in the fact that a representative of the IDF came to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and said that the IDF is not prepared to draft more than 3,000 haredim a year. If that is the case, then the entire campaign is a lie. At the conference I held with the haredi soldiers, they all told me that the IDF is not prepared to integrate charedim.
“A charedi combat soldier who enlisted in 2013 along with 200 other haredim sat at the conference and said that he is the only, only one who did not take off his kipa (skullcap) and beard. They all became irreligious. There’s a culture shock. The IDF does not allow haredi soldiers to become officers and their commanders are secular people who do not understand their ways. It’s basically the Secularization Army of Israel.”
She added, “The IDF is passing this hot potato between the court and the political echelon, they have a lot of distortions, populism, and a lack of public awareness, and there are not enough people who speak the truth.”
The call is for them to join units that are entirely religious, just as many of the Dati Leumi Torani soldiers do today. These units have religious commander. The experience of those who joined mixed units are not relevant.
Her premise is completely wrong. The correct way to view this issue is as follows :Way back in 2013 when it was considered highly improper for “charedim” to enlist, most of those who did were chareidim in garb only… they were LOOKING for a way out of their supposed charedi life. This is an example of a self selected cohort. So they found it . Nowadays, a charedi who wishes to enlist will have every opportunity to remain charedi even in the army if that is what he truly wants
Interesting which proves that the rabbis are right
No. Once all the Chareidim join, the it will no longer be secularizing. They will be the leaders.