Gov't bids to get more haredim to serve (Torah, sunday)

[jewscout]

Gov't bids to get more haredim to serve

The government Sunday called on the army to create more "attractive" frameworks to absorb haredi soldiers and to set up an administration to help place haredim who don't do military service into national service.

By approving the recommendations of the Ivri Committee, which was headed by Maj.-Gen. (res.) David Ivri, the government moved a step closer to creating a civilian national service option for those who do not enlist in the IDF.

The Ivri Committee was tasked earlier in the year with investigating the status of civilian national service programs in general and specifically with researching the possibility of haredi participation in those programs.

The resolution adopted Sunday calls for the establishment within 45 days of an administrator to look for suitable outlets for haredim interested in national service, and called for a minimum of some 200 national service positions to be allocated in the 2006 budget for yeshiva students. The idea is for a centralized civilian national service program to be eventually established, which would involve participation in organizations such as the police, firefighters, MDA and hospitals.

This plan, while it calls initially for accommodating yeshiva students, may eventually be expanded to include youth from the Arab sector, conscientious objectors, and people whose medical profiles preclude them from being drafted into the IDF. Among the recommendations of the Ivri Committee was that every graduate of the civilian national service program would receive the same financial benefits granted to IDF veterans, adjusted for their length of service.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull

[Avi]

I have heard of this. I think the Haredi need to serve in the mandatory IDF if they are going to continue to recieve government subsidies for their lifestyle of no work and only Torah (men) (not to say this is necessarly a bad thing, but one needs to balance between studying and working)...

[jewscout]

i don't know if they should be forced to serve, but i think it should definetly be encouraged
look a David HaMelech, a mighty warrior and a man of G-d at the same time
folks it can be done

[Ody]

I find it to be a good idea, to have a more pious IDF, they would be more motivated to protect fellow jews.