Quite understandable as he and all other ministers are very much aware that this law is one big bluff as it can never be actualized because haredis will not enlist and Israel does not have the room in their jails for 10,000 Torah scholars yearly, let alone the cost for keeping them in jail. And what about world reaction? This "revolution" is one big joke to make Lapid and some others happy for a few days. Purim Sameah!

Israel cannot afford civil Strife .It will take time for the Haredim to take on their obligations to Learn the Harsh Realities of survival.They have forgotten the Hebron Massacre of 1929 refusing Haganah protection or Arming Themselves.

This is probably the lowest Avoda has fallen in its history with Ben Gurion and Golda Meir turning in their graves. Not to vote for a bill equalizing services in Israel among all the population groups is a sign of defeat for Avoda. But I rejoice that the Haredim can now prove themselves in civil and IDF services, so let's call it a good day and give Avoda another chance. If they support the peace process that John Kerry is pushing to a successful conclusion, we'll agree to forget Avoda's shameful performance today.

bunch of lies! This "Law" cements the Status Quo and he knows it.

It was a "force" and a "threat" for which "MK Yoni Chetboun, who lost his position on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and will be suspended from submitting bills for six weeks as punishment for his voting against the coalition."

Are not all displaying the same lack of understanding as they were inside the "Walls of Jerusalem" in 70 CE, before the City fell to the "Romans", Medicine can be consumed in many different ways, why are you blundering about with the same one being used for all, as of before !, ending up with more trouble, not less.

To the haredim, I am just a simple hick from Holland. Could you help me understand, when you say your religious activities already help Israel: how does it work? How do prayers stop bullets and rockets? How do prayers attract investments and let the economy grow and blossom? How do prayers stop the secular from hating you for not sharing in your military and economic duties, but at the same time acquiring a major political favor such as funding so you can pray more? Thanks for any insightful reply (or should I pray for an answer as well?)

dear alex, your questions deserve a proper answer. it seems like you are not very familiar with the jewish religion. i recommend you present your queiries to your closest orthodox rabbi.

Failed dictatorship. Deep inside him,Lapid knows he made a wrong decision. Result,he is thrilled but not happy . Lapid attacked Rabbis instead of Arabs.. Fatal error . He chose the wrong enemies Lapid will soon be" a has been" while the Gedolim Hador are here to stay.

Unless Lapid can go back in time and do army service like the rest of our sons, he should shut up. His daddy got him out of regular service and harm's way, so he has no right to tell anyone else what to do. The real agenda is not army service anyway, just Lapid's way of continuing his father's legacy and war against religion.

Thanks. In fact, I am very familiar with Jewish religion, I was married to it for a number of years. She did not have answers to this question either. we have tried also scientific tests, for example, at the moment we knew a bullet missed a real IDF soldier, trying to measure how many Haredim were praying. But this turned out to be a very difficult task. Our Rabbi Soetendorp here in Holland did not have satisfying answers either. But, only rabbis know the answer'? Are you saying that ordinary praying haredim also do not know in what practical measurable ways their prayers and lifestyles help dodge bullets and rockets and help economy grow?

My whole family prayed in the Warsaw Ghetto. They prayed, and wept and are no more. Can we not learn from our tragic history ?

Dear Alex. Let me explain the draft dispute going on. It is not a conflict about to fight or not to fight. It is a cultural war going on for many years between the growing religious jewish population and the secular israeli establishment. The army today is sending away hundreds of seasoned soldiers and cutting billions from its funding. Todays warfare is technological and there are too many unneeded soldiers already. The drafting of religious boys has a totally different agenda. Its to secularize the young religious generation. The israeli army is ninth in the world of 103 armies of being gay friendly. Even my country america is number 40. Here in America even during the draft, divinity students were not drafted. There is a ulterior agenda.

I asked in the past and an Orthodox Rabbi couldn't answer a question very similar to what Alex from Amsterdam asked. Like Alex, I was with an Orthodox woman for many years and she, and her family, didn't know the answer either. I asked a Reform rabbi who said "I don't think a prayer stops bullets." Do you really think there is an Orthodox rabbi, gadol o katan, that will come up with a verifiable answer, that there is a test we could set up?

Thanks Heshy. Yet, alterior motives aside, politicians always have them: what about the idea of haredim sharing in the sweat and blood being shed for the defense of Israel? Is that not just fair? Or is it fair that the only the secular sons may be wounded and die, while religious may stay safe in their yeshivot, and pray be enough? If the army is already big enough, fine. But then I would say: give some of the secular boys a break and use enlisted haredim to equal the balance. If haredim are now 20% of the population, the IDF should be 20% made up of haredim. After that we can start talking about army being full, alterior motives and what to do about it. and it is by the way wrong to assume it's a 'cultural war between secular and religious', because for ages now traditional observant jews (kippah wearers) have faithfully joined the army. So if at all we need to speak of a 'clash' or war' between cultures, it is the haredim against the rest of Israeli society, secular and traditional believers alike. Correct?

18 our of 120 members of the Kenesset who were pro-zionists, and supported the state, are now flirting with the anti-zionist parties, while their constituency is debating whether they would be better off as an autonomous community in a single ISLAMIC state that replaced Israel. Since Israel is already a third non-Jews, it means Israel is closing in on a non-zionist majority. And the army will lose troops since many hareidim had been joining and won't, and it is unclear how much those that remain can be trusted (at least once their cousins are being arrested for opposing the state).

What Yair Lapid and Yesh Atid have accomplished in less than a year in this government is historic. The passing of a law, one that no government has been able to pass for 65 years, is a the beginning of the healing of a deep wound in heart of Israeli society. It is a step toward uniting the different sectors of society and safe-guarding the future of Israel. Talk about whether or not the law will be implemented or enforced shows deep disregard for the rule of law. The fact that certain sectors of society feel free to decide whether or not they will follow the rule of law is a very dangerous slippery slope to societal chaos. Israel offers so many rights and privileges to its citizens, and the expectation that there be an fair and equal distribution of the weight of service from all citizens is simply reasonable. Yesh Atid for Israel!

Ephraim. Please stop publicly writing lies about people, especially ones that are easy to verify. Facts... 1) Yair Lapid served in the army. 2) Yair Lapid is not anti-religious. Look it up!

The chareidi population is 10 per cent not 20 per cent of the Israeli population. The arab population is 20 per cent and they don't share wirth trhe blood and sweat of the Israeli population. There are judges who are arabs on israels supreme court but no chareidi judges. If there was a war and a need for chareidim they would have even their teenagers help dig trenches or paint over street or car lights for security purposes. The issue here a serious culture war. Without Torah there is no future to Judaism. If you Alex think that all it rakes is an army to secure against hundreds of millions of arabs,keep dreaming. If one million arabs without guns just marched on israel,how could you stop them. You can't shoot a million people. And was it not a few short years ago that only several hundred arabs tried that from syria and some even made it into tel aviv. The fact is the G-d of Israel runs the world and just as he stops the oceans from enveloping the earth so too he stops and foils millions of attempts each day to destroy Israel. The very same rabbi who encouraged certain chareidi youth to be part of nachal chareidi also banned it now because of this new agenda. Here in New York an entire religious community has come together to oppose this new agenda to destroy our Torah.

I don't understand how 3 years of serving in the IDF like anyone else takes away your Torah and your culture. The Torah remains, you'll be able to study it before service, during service after duty hours and after service the rest of your life. No one will take away your belief and Torah unless you let them. 3 years of service is not going to do that. This is typical exaggeration and fear over change. It's called correcting the unbalance and discrimination (in favor of haredim) and doing your fair share, nothing more. Don't be scared. And for those that might really have a motive to slowly destroy your religion: be brave don't let them, and G-d will always be in your hearts and minds, no one will be able to get there, unless you let them...

The age of 18 is still too young for most people to resist being corrupted spiritually especially in being under secular commanders and politicians who's sole agenda is destroying the morals of chareidi youth. Throughout the western world they are corrupting the young generation not only in the colleges but already in grade school. We see the increase in atheism and gay marriage. Now here in America there is talk of incestual marriages where brothers will legally marry sisters. Its a slippery slope and we see the results as societys are crumbling. Families are falling apart. Its a cultural war but in the end G-ds Torah and those loyal to it will win out.

Look it up? OK. His daddy got him a job a reporter in the army so he did not have to serve in a combat unit. Not anti-religious? You must be smoking some of that good medical marijuana (that Lapid said he never smoked until all his peers came out that not only they smoked with him, but BOUGHT from him.) Go look it up.