JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A prominent Religious Zionist rabbi is urging members of his community to lower the tone of the public debate over Haredi military service, saying disagreements over enlistment should be expressed with respect and a commitment to Jewish unity rather than anger and division.
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Rabbi Moshe Ganz, a senior disciple of Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook and former rabbi of Sha’alvim Yeshiva and Kibbutz Lavi, issued the appeal in a public letter that has drawn widespread attention within Israel’s Religious Zionist community. He later expanded on his remarks in an interview with Kol Hai Radio, saying he decided to speak out after hearing increasingly harsh attacks directed at the Haredi community over the draft issue.
Opening his message, Ganz wrote, “My brothers, the Religious Zionists — repent your ways!”
Ganz said he understands the frustration of many Religious Zionists who have spent hundreds of days in reserve duty during the war and have faced financial hardship and family strain. He said he shares their belief that more Haredim should serve in the Israel Defense Forces, but argued that criticism should be measured and constructive.
“We need to do what can be done, and do it wisely. There is certainly no place for verbal attacks,” he said in the interview. “A Jew, even if he did not enlist, is still a Jew.”
In his letter, Ganz said he was “filled with shame and embarrassment” by the way some Religious Zionists have spoken about observant Haredim, noting that the community has often shown compassion toward Jews with different levels of religious observance.
“I fully understand your justified frustration that they are not enlisting,” he wrote. “I share it as well. But what about the love of Israel that we know how to show even toward those who desecrate Shabbat? You have become completely confused.”
Referring to the establishment of the Hashmonaim Brigade, an IDF framework created for Haredi recruits, Ganz said it is legitimate to debate the issue of enlistment but warned that hostile rhetoric and punitive measures could discourage Haredim who are already choosing to serve.
“There is a Haredi public, not a large one, that is enlisting, and we must not damage its motivation,” he said, pointing to the Hashmonaim Brigade as an encouraging development. He added that commanders in the unit have expressed satisfaction with the soldiers serving there and said he hopes those recruits will inspire more members of the Haredi community to enlist over time.
Ganz also urged listeners to judge those expressing anger with understanding, saying many have endured extended reserve service and are speaking from genuine pain rather than ideology alone.
“I ask everyone, wherever they are, to look for ways to increase peace,” he said. “We have enough disagreements.”
He also cautioned that some people appear more interested in widening the divide between the Religious Zionist and Haredi communities than in increasing military enlistment.
“There are many people who are not interested in Haredim enlisting but are very interested in creating conflict between our communities,” Ganz wrote. “We must not assist them.”
Concluding his remarks, Ganz called for patience, calm and unity, saying he believes progress will come over time. “To increase peace,” he said, “is a message that belongs to every community, every side and every direction.”
Dati-Leumi is not a monolith, unless you seriously want to include people like Elazar Stern and Naftali Bennett under the same roof as Mercaz Harav and Har HaMor. (Or even Mercaz Harav and Har HaMor under one roof… but that requires deeper knowledge of the DL world to understand.) There is a growing movement within the DL world referred to as “Chardalim” = “Chareidi Leumi” and various parallel movements like “Chavakuk” = “Chabad-Breslov-Rav Kook”, i.e. the sources they turn to for inspiration. These people have far more common ground with Chareidim than they do with old-school Mafdal types (“Mamlachti”), let alone Bennett/Stern and company.
If the Chareidi world supports the moderate Gedolim that encourage towards eventual enlistment and the DL community supports their moderate leaders like Rabbi Gansz, we would surly resolve these issues and bring Moshiach.
Stop encouraging the fanatic leaders on both sides.
If only the rest of his camp instead of choosing to kiss up to the religious hating left decided that the more appropriate thing would be to kiss up to their brothers who want to be closer to the Torah and kedusha. Channel 12 or Rav Lando. Bar Ilan or Rav Hirsch. A Jewish heart should know the answer
every person is different from the next. What is good for one person is not necessarily good for the next person.
Instead of criticizing people who think differently, we should “don” them “b’kaf z’chus”
Why censor so many comments. Sometimes letting machloksim play out (if mostly lishem shamayim) make things better. Instead people will double down because they dont engage with the other side because comments are censored. Emes also demands no censorship unless people trying to manipulate the truth.
The “Mitnachalim” and “Hilltop Youth” chevra are very well represented in those two groups of “Chareidi” DL.