Why Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews will never serve in the IDF - opinion

It's time to get it out of your head and your lexicon. There is no option in which Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) yeshiva students will enlist in the army in any way.

There are many reasons for this, and thousands of columns have already been written about it, but in my opinion, first and foremost is their fear, and we must be honest, it is of secularization.

Yes, exactly as it sounds. The Haredim don't want you to change them. The Haredim want to remain ultra-Orthodox.

You all know that the army in the State of Israel is defined as the 'melting pot of Israeli society', and as such, it is clear to you that there is not even a shadow of a chance of seeing even one real haredi in the IDF. What to do, it does not work together.

It is unthinkable that you ask, or rather demand from Haredim, who live in the Jewish state, that the only proof that this state is indeed ours is the Torah!

Unfortunately, you are belittling Haredi society so much, and the truth is that it is spent; we have no right to exist here at all! And you demand they stop observing, as was written and spoken according to their faith! There's no way that will happen.

As one who did military service and was released just a few days ago from reserve duty helping identify fallen soldiers, alongside my friends who do God's work there - work that is difficult to describe in words, but perhaps in another article -  I can confidently say: If Haredim had been running the same service, everything there would have looked different.

From a haredi point of view, Shabbat is desecrated there almost every Saturday when the dead arrive.

In retrospect, I realized that I was also forced to violate Shabbat there.

As a haredi, the whole issue of harvesting sperm from soldiers would have been considered from the beginning and maybe even prohibited. I was there. You can't play on me. I have seen everything and I know the truth.

You don't really want the haredim in the army

Believe me, you don't really want the haredim in the army. You don't want the haredim to make crucial decisions according to the Halacha. Think about it.

If we really want, there is a solution. The problem is that we have become a tool in the hands of the politicians who prefer to perpetuate the problem and not find a solution because it will always be the tool for threats of this and that nature to the Haredim. More opportunities to call them extortionists or any other derogatory term. 

So I have news for you: threats won't help.

Denying budgets will not help.

Jail won't help. is nothing.

Understand, and let's find a solution together.