Shlomo Benizri, former Minister of Defense, spoke today (Thursday) with Barak Sari and Yehuda Schlesinger on 103FM, addressing the desire to recruit yeshiva graduates and calling for the reservists who were released to be recalled.
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How is it that at a moment like this, when soldiers are killed, from the zone of giving, from kindness, we don't jump out of all the yeshiva meetings and say, 'We're coming'?
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""The answer is in your question. The value of Torah study is a great value. We believe in the power of Torah study. I was in my secular world too, thinking, 'I'll enlist and they won't?', and today I stand at the forefront of those defending the value of Torah study because we believe. It's true. As soon as Ben-Gurion defined the army as the melting pot of Israeli society, and who knows, like you, that it's very difficult for an ultra-Orthodox person to join the army and be religious. The army is problematic from this spiritual point of view, to preserve your spirituality within the army.
""There were many promises from the army, all of which were not kept. This caused many problems spiritually for many young men. I agree with you that those who do not study Torah should give their share to the state, the only problem is that there is no trust today between the Haredi public and the military institutions when the military is leading a progressive agenda. ZAKA, you go and you come back. You are not under a framework.
When you are inside a base, you expect their commanders to be ultra-Orthodox or at least in their view. Some of the commanders are secular commanders. We saw serious violations. Two months ago I put forward an idea, I said that there needs to be an ultra-Orthodox advisor to the Chief of Staff, like an advisor for women. Build a base, closed, and when everything is done together with the great men of Israel but without coercion, threats, budget cuts. Build the framework first. Start building trust.".
All secular people want to enlist? All parents want to send? What does it mean there is no trust? They tried dialogue, dialogue. It doesn't work. Something happened on October 7th, thousands of soldiers are needed.
""Go by force, let's see what happens. Do you want a prison? Go. You'll get protests all over the country, is that what we need now? It's not. Even if we mobilize the haredim now, it will take a year or two, so let's bring back the soldiers you released, the reservists. You have half a million released. Let's solve the problem with them for now, and deal with the haredim at the same time. Because the haredim won't give you an answer right now, it's a process.
""The army is also not prepared to absorb now. We are talking about tens of thousands here, you can't stop everyone. First build the system, the trust with the public. We are aligning with the Torah. Start building the trust, sit with the rabbis, but if you go to war - you will get war. I know how it goes, war you get war. They know how to fight when they raise the bar when they say it is a war for the sanctification of God.
""I don't want wars, I want a solution. Not a bang and we're done. All the threats, not scary. You hurt, it hurts, you damaged the children's food, they didn't break and won't break.".
""Let's ask religious Zionism - if the power of the army is more important than the power of Torah study, why do they only do 15 months in the army? Why? I come and speak in the name of the Torah. You said you are a Middle Eastern power, we saw what happened in the war. We see what is happening in Lebanon. Do you believe only in your power? Do you despise the Torah? Don't you believe in the value of the Torah? You'll get along.
"We've been floundering in Gaza for 7 months and haven't achieved anything. The country is going to be destroyed, and what's on everyone's mind is recruiting some yeshiva students. Since we left Egypt, history has proven that they've always studied Torah, the Torah has protected, the Torah has always preserved. Stop it, don't touch our Torah.".
