Torah-true Jewry is up in arms over another breach in religious foundations and the status quo in a proposed bill that would impose stricter criteria on young women seeking exemptions from IDF induction.
Maranan verabbonon past and present determined that serving in the IDF is strictly forbidden and the Chazon Ish held that enlisting women in the military or National Service falls under the category of prohibitions that are yehoreig ve'al ya'avor. The bill, which is being advanced by Education Minister MK Gidon Saar, who has become the leader of all anti-chareidi initiatives even though he is part of the government, would make it difficult for many baalos teshuvoh and girls from traditional homes — who are aware of the ban against IDF service — to get an exemption from service.
The decision of the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Matters, backed by the IDF six to four, is designed to create tighter restrictions in securing a military exemption for religious reasons. According to the legislative initiative set forth by MKs Yisrael Chason, Moshe Matlon and Miri Regev — who were preceded by Saar - a young woman who declares she is religious, in order to receive a military exemption must produce documents showing her enrollment at a religious institution.
The Ministerial Committee also decided to ask the Knesset committee involved in the issue to hold a discussion on the issue within a week. A dispute erupted between Saar and the chareidi members of the committee, who decried the ongoing attack against every matter of kedushoh.
The incendiary initiative is intended to debase the chareidi sector yet again and to seed war over religious issues. Surprisingly , top Likud figures are joining the incitement against the chareidi community, most notably Saar.
The chareidi community has always considered the issue of women serving in the IDF as something to be avoided as much as possible for the sanctity of Klal Yisroel.
