By Rabbi Dow Marmur
- Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM –Unfortunately, it’s not as exciting as it’s being presented in the media.Israel’s Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision may have made an historic ruling when it refused to allow the extension of the law that exempts ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Jews from military service. However, in order not to jeopardize his coalition that depends on haredi support, Prime Minister Netanyahu will soon arrange for a new law that’s likely to pass in the Knesset. It’ll continue the present system and thus bypass the court ruling.
Several non-haredi members of the cabinet say that they’d like the haredim to serve in the armed forces or at least do community service, but they’re nevertheless likely to vote in favour of the “new” law because being in government may matter to them more than acting with integrity for the good of the country.
This is probably also the last time that the issue appears in the Supreme Court. Its latest decision may be the pride and joy of outgoing president Dorit Beinisch, who is known to hold progressive views, but her successor as president, Asher Grunis, wrote in his minority opinion something to the effect that the Supreme Court should keep out of the matter in the future.
Thus when organizations such as the Movement for Quality Government that brought this petition to the court should try again on some other occasion, it probably won’t be granted leave. The politicians will be given free rein to make deals.
When Israel first gave exemption from military service to haredim, there were few ultra-Orthodox Jews in the world. Since then, they’ve greatly grown in number. More than 60 000 young Israelis are now exempt. In view of their high birth rate, it’s anticipated that by 2025 some 22% of all Israeli children will come from haredi families.
The burden of defending the country will, therefore, rest on a shrinking majority. This is grossly unfair. No wonder most Israelis resent it and no wonder that former chiefs of staff Ehud Barak, the defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, the deputy leader of Kadima, and the present incumbent Beny Ganz expressed great delight in the Supreme Court decision. To repeat: nevertheless, it’s anticipated that the prime minister will ignore their views. And the ministers who say they agree with the generals, notably the ostensibly secular Avigdor Lieberman, will support him to make sure they stay in power.
Of course, haredim argue that by studying in their yeshivot they’re contributing more to the defense of the Jewish people than the soldier who are guarding Israel’s borders, protecting its skies, etc. etc. For haredim say it is God’s intervention as a reward for their zeal, piety and devotion to Torah study that keeps the Jewish people in Israel, not the non-haredi, often Jewishly ignorant and non-observant soldiers.
I hear it said more and more these days that Israelis may have concentrated too much on external dangers, dramatic and menacing though these are. It’s the internal threats that may constitute an even greater risk for the Jewish state. We’ve learnt to protect ourselves from our enemies, but, alas, not yet from each other and ourselves.
The growth of religious fanaticism as manifest in haredi intransigence on the one hand and “pious and idealistic” settler violence on the other suggests that this contention may be ominously accurate. Now when even the Supreme Court may refuse to intervene, grass roots action that challenges crass politicians has become more urgent than ever.
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Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now dividing his time between Canada and Israel, he may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com