"The gedolei haTorah unequivocally oppose every change
in the existing arrangement regarding the deferment and
conscription of the yeshiva students. It is not the
politicians who will decide, determine and rule on this issue
-- not even the chareidi or religious ones -- but only the
gedolei haTorah. They alone."
These statements were made at the Knesset plenum by MK Rabbi
Avrohom Yosef Laizerson at a stormy deliberation on the
ruling of the High Court over the matter of the conscription
of yeshiva students.
Leftist Knesset members claimed that the chareidi public
isn't satisfied with the existing situation.
The deliberation was extremely stormy, and was accompanied by
side remarks and incessant shouting, especially between MK
Rabbi Laizerson (UTJ) David Azouli, Nissim Dahan and Yitzchok
Cohen (Shas) who protested the harsh defamation and
mudslinging against the chareidi public and the lomdei
haTorah.
MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) claimed that the chareidi public
itself doesn't want the existing arrangement any more, and no
longer wants to star in Bituach Leumi's poverty reports. He
said, "The only method of preventing the disintegration of
the Torah world is to make a change in the formats of the
yeshivos and kollelim."
MK Chaim Oron (Meretz) claimed that in his opinion there
isn't even one MK who thinks that the solution is to retain
the status quo as it exits today. "Chareidi Knesset members
have told me that a solution must be found, and due their
right to privacy, I will not mention names. The current
system can't continue to exist. The public at large cannot
bear this burden any more. Your public cries out for a
different solution," he called to the chareidi Knesset
members, who vociferously protested these remarks.
MK Beigeh Shochat (Labor) caused a storm when he claimed that
the issue involved 80 thousand yeshiva students, when in
truth, the IDF statistics indicate that 30 thousand receive
deferments. His words were exceptionally harsh. Among other
things, he called the chareidi populace "parasites," and
claimed that this community lives at the expense of the
entire populace of the state.
MK Nissim Dahan (Shas) said that the ruling of the High Court
is indicative of the great change which has transpired in
Israeli society. "The first generation of the state still
recalled beis abba. The Torah is the supreme value of
the Jewish Nation, and Ben Gurion understood this. He didn't
agree with this principle, and he tried to prevent the making
of an arrangement on the issue of the yeshiva students. But
he understood it. Today, the Knesset members have absolutely
no inkling of the value of Torah study, and when someone
tries to explain it to them, they look at him as if he fell
from the moon. If I were to say that soccer is a supernal
value, they would understand me. When I speak about Torah
learning, they don't understand. Israeli society has gone
bankrupt. Today there is no concept such as respect for
Jewish tradition."
Deputy Minister MK Michael Eitan, who replied in the name of
the government, called on those present to find a viable and
appropriate arrangement for topic of the conscription of the
yeshiva students, and said that deliberations should begin
soon since the High Court has given the Knesset a year in
which to pass a law on the issue.
