Draft Dodging Or Hatred of Haredim: Which Is It?

ג' לחודש השנים עשר תשע"ד

Life In Israel: Going to serve got him arrested
A young Haredi man, a Chabadnik, showed up to the IDF draft offices, expecting to submit himself to the army draft, and ended up getting arrested for being AWOL.

The fellow had received a deferment from army service for learning in yeshiva. Eventually he finished his learning and traveled abroad in the capacity of being a "Chabad shliach".

As soon as he stepped out of the country, he was officially AWOL.

He returned to Israel in October and appeared at some point before the army draft board to be enlisted. He was immediately arrested for being AWOL. His excuse that he did not know he was AWOL fell on deaf ears and he has been served with an indictment.

Due to the involvement of the IDF Defense Attorney, he was moved to an "open arrest" which allowed him to begin his actual service and training. His commanders have reported that he is serving well, with high motivation, and despite officially being under arrest, he was able to get married and he has even been allowed out to go home for short periods of time.

His trial is coming up this week, and the prosecutor wants him in jail. The defenders defense is that doing so would harm the army's ability to attract other haredim to the service, and they shouldn't go hard on someone whose community they are trying to attract.

source: Walla News

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
He may not have a good excuse, but how just accepting that there are glitches in the system, and go about trying to work them out?

Is IDF ego is that big? Or is it Haredi hatred that is just too big? Does the establishment really want to attract Haredim? Or does it disparately want to hang onto an issue, which in its collective minds, will give it permission to continue to act out its hatred toward Haredim through brow beating, and other forms of harassment?

Netzah Yehudah IDF Unit: A mix of Haredi and Religious Zionist soldiers
(Photo: Alex Libek)

I find it odd that "they" went after a Chabbadnik. Chabbaniks have been known even to be teased by other segments of Haredi society as being "More Zionist than the Zionists." I believe it was Chabbad's protests against the expulsion from Azza (Gaza/Gush Qatif) in 2005/תשס"ה started that all off.

Still, Chabbadniks are most definitely more loyal to HaShem and His Torah than to the State, and to most serving in the Israeli Government, that is considered to be "dangerous."