Members of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, part of the ruling government coalition, attended an emergency meeting on Tuesday at the home of Dov Landau, a prominent rabbi in Bnei Brak and spiritual leader of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community, who directed all heads of religious schools and seminaries to ensure that their students do not respond to any IDF summons or draft order, and to avoid any contact with the IDF, except through yeshiva administrators.
Haredi men protest draft bill, riot at military induction center
(Yehodia Ben Zion )
A news publication affiliated with Landau published the announcement on Wednesday, accompanied by an image of Moshe Gafni, the chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, addressing the participants. "It’s clear to all of us that yeshiva students will not enlist in any form," according to the article.
"The uncertain situation is causing concern and tension among yeshiva heads, their students and families whose sons have received draft orders. Unfortunately, the number of those receiving summonses is increasing," the article added.
"We all understand the severe state we’re in," it also reported, "following the judicial authorities’ removal of the yeshiva students’ exemption status. For years, yeshiva students and kollel scholars were exempt from military service, but recently there have been attempts to change the long-standing arrangement."
The publication reported that there must be coordination and unity in the Haredi community and "under no circumstances should individuals take matters into their own hands."
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The lawmakers are currently negotiating with other members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition on a new conscription law exempting from service as many yeshiva students as possible, and have generally refrained from addressing the matter publicly.
First published: 14:47, 12.04.24