The Haredi organizations that oppose conscription into the IDF have recently been troubled by a phenomenon: young American Haredi men are enlisting in the IDF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus it happened that in the last cohort recruited for the Tomer Battalion, the Haredi battalion in Givati, almost all were Haredi overseas volunteers and only a few were young Haredi Israelis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organization 'Ezrem Vemaginam', an aid organization for those receiving military orders operating on behalf of 'Degel HaTorah', held a conference this week, during which an organization called 'Associations' was established, designed to prevent foreign nationals from enlisting. The fight against the phenomenon will be conducted through an open telephone line for those in doubt, and information and persuasion activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gathering was attended by a number of rabbis, led by the Gaon Rabbi Yehoshua Eichenstein, born in the United States and head of the Yad Aharon Yeshiva, and the Gra Feldman of Baltimore, a member of the Council of Torah Sages of the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabbi Eichenstein gave a talk to hundreds of expatriates studying in yeshivahs in Israel - and explained to them his doctrine against conscription into the army. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The people here tonight are basically from Western culture and came here to the Land of Israel. Because you grew up in Western culture, you don't have a full understanding of Israeli culture and what's behind all of this. Let me give you some background. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The Torah says, 'Jacob was a blameless man,' but when you sit next to a wicked person - don't be blameless. We need to understand this basic concept.".
The yeshiva head explained: "American culture is innocent. Religious freedom in America is also based on this. The founders were religious minorities who suffered persecution in their countries, and therefore created a system in which everyone is religious in their own way. Separation of religion and state. In this country, the situation is different. The state was founded on the religion of Zionism. There is no separation of religion and state. The state is religious at its core, but with the religion of Zionism. As Marx said, communism replaces religion. Zionism wanted to create a new people. A melting pot. The army was intended to create the new Zionist nation. That is why women are recruited. The only country in the world that recruits women besides Israel is North Korea. This is a fact.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabbi Eichenstein added: "The innocent Americans accept what they are told about equality of burden. They don't understand that there is no innocence here, there is an agenda.". <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The yeshiva leader accused the army's senior officials: "I sat with a senior army officer for nearly three hours. I asked him: If you want Haredim in the army, why impose sanctions? Why not adapt the army to them? He told me: You don't understand, the goal is not security. They are afraid of the Haredim and want to marginalize them. They fear that in 30 years the Haredim will have great power in the country. Therefore, the goal is to make them 'exit'.". <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabbi Eichenstein also addressed the national-religious public who enlists: "The fact is that those who go into the army have difficulty staying."
Religious. Even in religious Zionism, high percentages stop keeping the commandments.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Audience participant): That's not true, it's less than 8 percent in the Hesder yeshivas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeshiva head: "It's not 8 percent. You may be talking about very strong Seder yeshivahs, but in the general national-religious public the percentages are very high. Don't be naive. Look at what Rabbi Yigal Levinstein and Rabbi Pendel say. They clearly say that people enter with a kippah and leave without. The percentages are very high. The legal system and the left are using the army as a tool against religion. They don't want compromises, they want the religious public to surrender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""I can tell you from my sources\u2026 What's happening there is not simple. Are you aware that when they were in Gaza from a certain Heder yeshiva, they slept in the same house with women? And their wives went to the Knesset to complain: How are you putting
Are you our owner in a house like this with women? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""There was such a case\u2026 No, no, it's more than that. Why did the women go to complain? Because it was more than one case. They can be in tanks together with women. They can't get out of the tanks. It doesn't work like that. Again, don't be naive, please. The attempts are very great and many go out into bad culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The army wants to adapt... There is still a connection to the army, there is still an atmosphere in the army... I'm not talking about the entire army, I'm saying there are people in the army who want to adapt... I've been in contact with them. They want to adapt, they want to do as much as possible. But the fact is that very many parts of the army are not like that, and they have an agenda to try and cause Hellenization.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When they come in as a group they get what they need, whether it\u2019s prayer or study\u2026 Not always! Not always!
The commander is not always\u2026 Desecrating Shabbat is not simple. In any case, to the point. If you understand that there is a trend here. It is not innocent, it is not just a security need. They say it is security and they want to accommodate the Haredim\u2026 And I am not saying that there are no people in the army who want to accommodate, but the general atmosphere is not like that. And there was still no basic thing in the army where you could be Haredi and remain Haredi, it almost does not exist. The dangers are very great.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event's moderator, Rabbi Shlomo Miller, concluded: "We heard a very clear Torah opinion from the head of the yeshiva. When you see a Torah opinion, you clearly see what they are trying to do to us. And with the help of God tonight, we are all called to the Hasmonean cry, 'Who is to me?' and we will all do and listen to what the Torah gurus tell us and teach us.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n