Although the situation here in Eretz Yisroel is very clear to all those who live here, it seems that across the ocean some people are distorting the truth for various reasons.
It is well known that Torah true Jewry following in the light of the directives of our Torah leadership has remained intact, with not even a single [proverbial] hair falling from any ben Torah's head preventing him from pursuing his Torah study. In other communities, where the gedolim's guidelines were not followed, youths are being arrested because they flouted the rules, are endangering the standing of the students of their yeshivos and are jeopardizing their own spiritual stature during the period that they are behind bars and come in contact with undesirable elements.
There seems to be an attempt to present an alternative to the established system that has been in place for almost 70 years by those who are presented as of a higher level since their concern is that every chareidi should be exempt from army service, even if he is not in full-time learning and Toraso umonuso. However our roshei yeshiva declare that this approach is doomed to failure since it would totally disrupt the army system, and in effect leave things so that anyone could just decide that he does not want to go. The principle has always been, as elucidated by HaRav Eliashiv zt"l and other gedolim, that our responsibility is to the lomdei Torah and we must ensure that they can pursue their ideals. We cannot be responsible for anyone not part of the Torah world.
Those who decided to support false testimony should desist from taking advantage of the geographical distance of those abroad and their lack of information about the true situation which is common knowledge here to young and old, from cheder students to the masters and ministers of Torah in Eretz Yisroel. Due the distance and ignorance, some say or imply that large numbers of students are being harassed and forced to enlist in the army. "How is it possible that here the facts are so clear-cut while abroad, people are able to believe the very opposite of the real situation?" they wondered.
The roshei yeshivos, together with rabbonim, expanded upon many of their queries based on the disinformation and the vast gap between the actual scene here and the reports which reach our brethren abroad. "How is it possible that in Eretz Yisroel the Torah world is at a peak of flourishing; the yeshiva halls are full, the beis medrash benches are fully occupied with increasing numbers of young students who have been given army deferment and are studying without interference? Those abroad are being fed information that Torah students are continually on the run to avoid military authorities attempting to mobilize them forcibly and imprison them for their `sin' of pursuing Torah studies."
How is it possible that those living here know that every Torah student from all over the country and from all circles or communities who wishes to may to fill out a deferment form to be registered as a yeshiva student through the Vaad Hayeshivos, and the deferment is forthcoming after their rosh yeshiva signs the form certifying that "Toraso umonuso - his Torah study is his occupation," when reports spread abroad say and imply that this is not the case, while others go as far as to tell of "firsthand accounts" of secret agreements between the army and the Vaad Hayeshivos where a quota of students are being drafted? How can they begin to believe such a far-fetched rumor?
Scary ad put in to some chareidi papers in America
How can it be that when everyone knows that it was thanks to the efforts of dedicated politicians and askonim under the guidance of Torah leaders, that the requirements for appearing at the recruitment centers in person in order to receive the deferment was removed and the situation has greatly improved over what it was in the past - both from the aspect of modesty and the ability to come together, in large concentrated groups - when the information reaching across the sea reports of a shameful situation and of mass attempts of allurement and pressurizing at the induction center?
How can it be that when extensive outreach programs are activated with outstretched arms in every town and peripheral settlement, geared to gather in tens of additional secular high school students into yeshivos, where our gedolei hador insist that "no child be abandoned", when those abroad believe the false stories that chareidi Jewry is ignoring the weak ones in the backwaters?
How can it be that public notices in dramatic black and yellow, reminiscent of the yellow badge of shame and dripping with imaginary blood are aired in the chareidi media which is purported to be trustworthy, and which scream out as if 24 yeshiva students who were arrested because they studied Torah, `rotted' in dingy prison cells over Shavuos, when there is no basis whatsoever for this report and that these were disseminated for self interested reasons?
This was the pained cry of roshei yeshivos to the ears of Yated Ne'eman.
