"Lapid's plan will see all Israelis, including haredim and Arabs, reporting to the military induction center at the age of 18." I am for all Israelis including Charedim and Arabs serving in at least national service. But forcing Arabs to report to a military induction center at the age of 18 seems unnecessary and inappropriate.

A Hillel Prosbul Conciliation. Is needed in this issue the Wealthy in the Galus and there are many with more much more than they need and the Israeli Wealthy could Contribute to a Future Fund to Give Livelihood Grants to Combat Soldiers and Haredim that serve in advanced Hatzollah Training CyberTech and Underground shelter construction .

THEY WILL NOT BE DRAFTED! Every time "leaders" of Israel are about to make something VERY BAD to Israel,as a BIG CONCESSION to cruel foes,Israeli public are lured and the issue "haredim" is brought back. I insist that Lapid was just a disposable card used by Peres and Netanyahu and Barak to rise the haredim issue before and during Obama´s coming,because a GREAT sacrifice will be demanded to Israel! THIS WHOLE "HAREDIM" ISSUE IS FAKE ! Remember please,that ALWAYS,before a deadly concession,haredim were used and after nothing happened to them but something bad DID happen to Israel. ISRAEL MUST NOT CAVE IN ENEMIES DEMANDS EVEN IF THE BLACK MAILING IS THE WORST POSSIBLY TO BE! ISRAEL WILL TURN INTO INDEFENSIBLE IF IT ACCEPTS MORE DEADLY CONCESSIONS!

What a democracy, The minority has no rights!! the majority dictate and "ein ma laasot". Israel, the only jewish country, will be the only country in the world which does not allow for full time study of the torah! How Ironic!!

Why? Shouldn't the burdens of citizenship be borne by all citizens? Why should Arabs be exempt? If they want to be exempt, they should leave the State of Israel. I add, of course, that there is no shortage of both Arab Moslems and Christians that volunteer to serve in the IDF -- for no reason other than they feel a need to serve the State. Those who are a little less willing should not be held to a lesser standard -- they can do the equivalent of their military duty in performing national service. But service -- whether in the military or in another form -- is neither unnecessary nor inappropriate. There is plenty of work that needs to be done in the form of national service of some sort. Those who are unwilling should be stripped of their Israeli citizenship and sent somewhere else. Has anyone ever stopped to wonder how difficult it might be for a Moslem Arab in Israel to decide he wishes to serve his State? I'm guessing it can be extremely difficult. Yet, he does it -- because he thinks of himself as Israeli. Which he is. Why should those who shirk duty to the State be granted greater consideration? The choices are clear -- serve -- or leave. And that very definitely includes the haredim. If they do not love their State enough to serve for her, we're far better off without them. No exceptions.

Issues that have not been discussed include: 1. Does the IDF really need so many people, or would money be better spent on technology? Just a few years ago they spoke of moving to a Small and Smart IDF. What happened to that? 2. Does enlisting unwilling soldiers make any sense? (ok, you can force them, but will that help win wars?) 3. Making Arabs serve in the IDF? See above but instead of "unwilling" read "antagonistic". 4. In the last few years haredi enlistment rose from nothing to 4500. Do you not think that this could be the start of an exponential curve which would increase the numbers naturally and without force? To me it looks like Lapid is out to make a point, and not to make a real, meaningful, and effective change.

Including the secular cohanim.they all should be able to learn Cohanut. Same could apply to some Levi'im. Other part of charedim can be exempted but teaches tanach and talmud in secular schools as return. Some enlist and a 1000 brilliant students keep on going.

For decades the Tal Law gave the haredi the option to serve or not to serve and the majority of the public couldn't care less what they do or do not do, not there problem. The a small number of people started moaning about it being unfair and next thing you know its an electoral issue. Probably the only thing that was talked about more during the election campaign was the traditional peace process Stupid thing its such a highly publicized issue a totally trivial and if not a single haredi was drafted it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to the issues the country is facing or there was a war If we are going to be honest with ourselves this isn't even about fair its about the fact they are hardi and everybody loves to hate hared. If it had been a secular group of some kind nobody would be the slightest bit interested. The IDF doesn't even want the haredi because they are trying to cutback on manpower to save money instead use thing like more UAVS now they are going to have to create new units and provide for thousansds of haredi and they are about to get their budget cut again. The government certainly shouoldnt be drafting arabs, the whole reason they were exempt was to avoid conflicting loyalties to their own people and to Israel.

I agree with every single point you make Nobody is interested in the IDF & what they want or the logic its just Lapid latching onto a popularist idea.

Is that some sort of joke? What does Lapid want to do? Destroy Torah?

Ishai of SHASS says "pushing the issue risks tearing Israeli society apart.” - sure there will be some stress whilst putting things right - but ALREADY Israeli society has been torn apart because of those shirkers - who use the TORAH as an excuse not to serve in the army BUT don't study AND work for money undercover (cash only & no tax deducted). If it goes on much longer then the youth of what is still mainstream Israeli society will protest and then they too will refuse to serve. Then the army will become depleted and the State will be in danger because of lack of manpower to guard the borders. I got an SMS text message from Yair Lapid promising to stand by his principles and not to join any government that does not recruit all those fit for service. He has on his shoulders great responsibility. If he weakens, then his party will disappear - and with it the Israeli society that many citizens like myself know and love. For us the future of the State of Israel is becoming a concern.

There are not 5.5 Haredim in Israel and the Israeli population is over 7 million. I'm not at all sure if you understand what is being talked about here. Four hundred of the top Haredi students will be exempted from all service, but the others will be expected to do something other than study whilst being supported. The Haredim in New York, and many major Rabbis worked. There are no official statistics on the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi population in Israel, but it's estimated to be around 760,000

Most haredi do have jobs trouble is the ones who don't are the ones who stand out, there are also thousands of them who serve in the army. Nahal Haredi is attached to the Kfir Brigade ( a combat unit ) but again why should the media take any interest in them, the only thing that makes them different is the way they dress. Other than the haredi themselves is he army. The army is trying to cutback on manpower anyway to save money and money spent on a haredi draft is money not spent on equipment and its the equipment that wins the wars not the haredi who have been forcibly drafted. A better solution would be if the haredi don't want to go in the army they must do work placement schemes teach them skills and then they must be obligated to and prove they are looking for work. Its not sharing the burden as Lapid likes to call it but what does society get out of forcing them to serve in the army and what does it get from helping them get jobs? If this is hatred of haredi which it appears to be then forcibly draft them. If its about getting the best for society force them to learn skills & find jobs because if you don't when they come out the army Lapid can't force them to go get jobs.

With all respect, have you ever read any book on Zionism? Ever heard of people like Herzl, Weizmann, Ben Gurion and Jabotinsky? Special privileges for haredim was never part of any Zionist principle,. The haredim ruled in the shtetls and the early Zionists rebelled against this. A Zionist Jew is very differemt to a shtetl Jew. Perhaps you should change your alias to "shtetl forever".