Apparently, fighting a war for our very survival isn’t enough. Not enough to get haredim to enlist in significant numbers and not enough for Israel to wait to resolve the issue until after the war. So, despite an ongoing war on seven fronts, Israel has decided to throw an attempted civil war into the mix. We Jews have always been overachievers.
The internal agitation centers on attempts by the government to draft haredi yeshivah students into the IDF. Government officials argue that, especially now in a time of war, it’s important that every person does their fair share, although training takes months. Opponents point out that a large number of secular Israelis also dodge the IDF draft, and see the draft law aimed at haredim as another in a long series of attempts to undermine religious life in the Holy Land.
Various rabbis, rebbes, and other spiritual leaders have spoken out strongly against the attempted draft. Their followers have listened and swarmed to action. Each day, things seem to grow increasingly hostile on both sides. Arrests against draft age haredim have been made, and religious Jews who did not have exemptions have been blocked from leaving the country. The haredi world outside of Israel has gotten involved, attempting to ask the US to exert pressure on Israel.
It's a complicated issue, and I don’t pretend to have a perfect answer. As a member of the haredi community, I understand the fears expressed by my neighbors. I have also witnessed firsthand the dedication of haredi soldiers, and I am constantly amazed at their commitment to both Torah and their fellow Jews. They are, without a doubt, an inspiration and a source of pride.
I was also raised in America, so I support our basic rights such as freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble. Protesting is a hallmark of democracy and should be protected at all costs.
What I cannot and will not accept is what I have been seeing from my community in recent weeks. Here in Beit Shemesh, protests often turn violent. The current period saw numerous cases of supposedly pious Jews attacking police officers, setting dumpsters on fire, blocking traffic, and generally destroying the city I call home.
It’s not just a local problem. Massive haredi protests have shut down large parts of the country. In Jerusalem, my children have to plan their day around whether rioters have chosen to close down sections of the city. All over the country, protests shut down traffic effectively bringing the cities to a halt.
It’s only looking to get worse. Currently, protestors are threatening to shut down Ben Gurion Airport, disrupting the lives of countless people. In the Knesset, religious parties are threatening to pull out of the government, which would lead to the need for new elections and launch the country into turmoil when it cannot afford any internal weaknesses.
This is not a peaceful protest. It’s not nonviolent passive resistance. If left to continue, it could very well become the civil war the angry rioters want it to turn into.
The leaders of these mobs, which sadly include many respected religious authorities, argue that all this is absolutely necessary. The argument goes that the government is trying to undermine Torah and the very way of life of haredi Jews. Like the wicked Russians and other vile regimes, they accuse, the secular Israeli government wants to see religion stamped out in the so-called “Jewish State”. What is being advertised by the IDF as an attempt at fairness is, in reality, a clever ploy to turn Jewish youth away from Torah and a religious lifestyle - so they say.
There’s reason enough for this fear. That has been the case in the past. Previously, the Israeli government used the army as a way to convert religious youths into what they considered the ideal secular Israeli citizen. Early Zionists, including an apocryphal quote by Ben Gurion, called the Israeli army “The great equalizer.” That concept is obsolete.
In answer to the argument that haredi Jews must do their fair share, the religious world answers that this is indeed the case. Far from shirking their responsibilities, they argue, religious youth are providing a valuable and vital service to their country. It is their Torah learning that protects the brave soldiers of the IDF. Their sitting in yeshivah and learning is in reality fighting the spiritual battle on high, of which the physical battle here on Earth is only a weak reflection. The more they accrue merit through their learning, the safer and more victorious our army will be.(The problem also lies with the haredi non-studiers who continue to dodge the IDF draft, but that is not within the scope of this article.)
This is an essential Jewish belief. The idea that we are protected by Torah learning is foundational to Jewish thought. Moreover, the idea that what we do on high has an effect on the physical world is basic Jewish thought 101. Any believing Jew will agree that our greatest weapon is our spiritual strength, which is powerful enough to override an evil decree from on high.
There’s even support for the kind of partnership between the students and soldiers that the religious would like to see continue. The Talmud in Sanhedrin 49a states that, “If not for David’s study, Joab could not wage war. And if not, Joab’s waging war, David could not study.” It seems both are important. The Torah ideal is that the student and the soldier combine to become the perfect defender of Israel.
Such is the argument that the religious world makes. And as a haredi Jew it’s one that I personally very much believe. But I would like to suggest that, as much as they use this as a justification, the many protestors don’t believe it themselves.
I repeat: claiming exemption because Torah study protects the nation rings hollow when the same people disrupt daily life through protest and riot.
They are disproving their own argument.
If Torah truly protects, why protest? Why forsake Torah study for demonstrations? If faith in learning is real, public protest should be unnecessary.
If Torah shields the people as claimed, wouldn’t unwavering yeshivah study be the logical defense? By abandoning learning for protests, the argument for exemption weakens.
Obviously, they must concede that there is time to take action. When it comes to our own needs, suddenly, not only does Torah not protect, but it seems as if bitul Torah (the wasting of Torah learning time, what occurs when someone neglects their dedicated time for Torah study to engage in a fruitless or less important activity), the greatest of wastes, suddenly becomes a mitzvah. It’s ironic that so many seem willing to wage a war because they claim that there is no reason to wage a war.
If we really believe that Torah study alone will protect us, now is the time to show it. Quit rioting and protesting and return to the yeshivas, secure in the knowledge that your learning will keep you safe from being drafted. Let the whole world see the proof of what Torah learning can do when they witness how your own diligent study overturned the government’s decree.
The massive riots and the disgraceful behavior of so many of my co-religionists, the amount of effort they are putting into their cause, is perhaps the best proof against it. Their actions show that clearly, if you want to see results, there is a time to take action.
The rioting must end. And so must the justification used for it. The two contradict each other, and in the end, we are left with nothing.
The draft issue isn’t an easy one to solve. I’m not going to end this article by offering a perfect solution that will make everyone happy. I have no shame in admitting that I don’t know what to do.
But I do know that the current way can’t continue. With enemies on every front and a world that largely turns a blind eye to our struggle, unity is not just an ideal—it is a necessity for our survival. History has shown that our greatest victories came when we stood together, united in purpose and spirit. Every moment we spend divided is a gift to those who wish us harm.
Now, more than ever, we must remember that our true strength as Jews has always come from being one people with one heart. If we continue to tear ourselves apart, we do the work of our enemies for them.
This is a war for our very survival. We cannot let our own personal issues get in the way of that. That means that we in the haredi world have to drop those arguments that we simultaneously disprove by our actions. Not only is it hypocritical, but it also undermines our case with the secular majority.
If we want to make our case, then the riots of the past few months are not the way. All they do is show why the other side is right, while making us look like fanatics at the same time. When our arguments lead to the amount of discord we’ve seen, it’ clear that something new is needed. We have enough enemies outside. We don’t need to make enemies of each other.
I urge my fellow haredim to reconsider our tactics—both in the arguments we make and the way we present them. If we want to win hearts and minds, we must lead by example and demonstrate that our convictions are guided by wisdom and integrity, not by contradiction or empty slogans. Now is the time to show that we are capable of genuine dialogue and of forging a path forward that honors both our faith and the well-being of our entire nation.
If we have a just cause, let’s argue it out. Historically, that is after all what we Jews do. But let’s make sure that are arguments are not just empty rhetoric or eristics.
Let’s show the secular world what it really means to be a religious Jew. Let’s face the issue in a way that brings the secular world to respect their observant counterparts, both for our dedication to our faith and for our dedication to good conduct. How can we be a light unto the nations if we only bring darkness to ourselves?
Ilan Goodman is a museum collections professional and exhibition curator. He also serves as a rabbi and educator. He made Aliyah to Israel in 2011 and lives with his wife and children in Beit Shemesh.