How about all the secularist youth from Tel Aviv who are opting out at alarming rates? Equal means everyone, including arabs & secular, no excuses.

Doesn't our money that we pay in taxes also destroy you spiritually? Don't answer we should stop supporting you and your group of bloodsuckers, you should only get assistance from the government when you are a part of this beautiful country and that MUST include Army or National service - Time to give back or rather give forward

to be mekarev not-yet-religious Jews to Torah and mitzvot.

Torah says learning Torah is not an excuse for not serving the army...

as we all can see, the haredim arnt a real part of israel. So I suggest to stop any founding of them and to start to fight the biggest threat to the israeli society, the haredim, before its to late!

Mr. Hayon, You have explained in the simplest of terms WHY the haredim will NOT serve in the IDF: “Because we’re not interested.” I hope that is NOT the reason. I too was DISINTERESTED in doing milluim ( reserve IDF service) . Yet...in the Yom Kippur War, I gazed at the Egyptian Army thru binoculars. Many years after that until Lebanon 1 I continued to be DISINTERESTED but served in the milluim nevertheless. The state of Israel, including secular Jews, religious Jews and Druze ALL serve: I suppose , some for the money, but most sacrificing their time, a few sacrficing life and limb. The haredim can do Israeli National Service, some can join the IDF, a few (FEW) can remain yeshiva bochers. If those conditions are too stringent then the mass of Israel will surely be DISINTERESTED to carry the haredim on their backs. That is how a democratic country works ! moshe

Arabs and Hareidim don't identify with the people who do serve in the army and prefer their outsider status. That is an indictment against the army as well to the sectors who let others bear the responsibility.

Starting from the Premise that It is a NATIONAL Service - and ALL must serve...surely we need to establish how Haredim can serve without compromising their beliefs I hear time and again from Haredi Rabbis that this is 'Completely Possible' and all it takes is 'Goodwill on both sides' Surely it is the Haredi Leadership that need to take a lead and negotiate with the Government rather than leaving it to some hotheads to drive the debate

behind the curtain. Well, almost no attention, because some in his society really think this way. Many, many others are eager to contribute and to acquaint themselves with the rest of Israel, knowing full well that it isn't out to destroy them or their Jewishness. Don't take Mr. Hayon's word as the last one, the only one, or even the majority one.

which could be observed by the Rabbis, and these volunteers could become the commanders under which the draftees would serve, then you could get acceptance. The charedis would accept army service based on Torah values and Torah leadership.

The leadership in the time of Moses and David was religious. The army was a Torah learning army. Look up the story of Joshua and the angel with the sword. According to the commentaries, the angel threatened Joshua because he laxed Torah study in the army for one day

... We just don't want them to be Haredim in the amry. Maybe the author just doesn't get it.

silly art classes in universities or for some other unnecesary stupidities, while yeshivot are thrown a few coins. 2. Although all haredim pay taxes, many haredi institutions indeed do not take a single coin from the secular government for exactly the reason you mentioned.

Israel is a JEWISH country which means a country where TORASH IS THE LAW. If you can't deal with that, you can go to any other non-Jewish in the world. In the meantime, religious Jews MAY NOT CHAS VECHLILAH join such an army.

"We're not interested". Teach our youth this, that and the other thing. Turn us into scientists. WTH!? Who does this moron think he is? Everyone is responsible for themselves and their own education. Why the hell would the government walk into the haredi communities and try to encourage people to get an education? If these 'youths' are so smart, they would know what to do. And this shtettel mentality of peer pressure, shunning, etc., etc. Its just disgusting and shows how backward and foolish the haredim are. You won't find this problem so out of control in the US: the haredim have jobs there. In fact, their pretty darn successful (not like the more grounded and educated Jews around them, but they do pretty good). No service (national or IDF)? Fine. No benefits because you offer nothing tangibly constructive to Israel. Cut off all funds to the haredi sector; no one should have to babysit a welfare community. Why? Because we're not interested. What a disgusting article. Money is the key to get these lazy people hopping: cut off their supply line of welfare checks from the gov't. Let them have their ghetto, burn it to the ground, riot in their pitiful, backward neighborhoods. After they've destroyed everything in ignorance. Don't help them rebuild when they've come to their senses. Let them figure out how to do it themselves. Or, if we DON'T want another Gaza, just put the draft dodgers in prison for 3 years with only a Chumash. Lazy, arrogant, sexist, racist bums: they don't deserve our help.

Where are all the Haredi scientists, where is the haredi workforce? What rubbish. I am shocked YNet actual published this and Eliezer Hayon you should be embarrassed by this. So its OK that we send our kids out to war to protect the Haredim who just bite the hand that feeds them? This is the most insulting article I have ever read! I am sure our heroes on Har Hertzl feel much better for this piece of meaningless drivel. Living in Israel a privilege which many people have dies for, so whether you're secular or haredi all are obligated to do the army or national service! Or maybe that's the publicity and reaction you wanted?

Do you live in Israel? I doubt it.

Sherut Leumi.

They are needed in every army . Their claim that studying and praying contributes to the succes of the IDF ? What a BS you tell here . And what about all those studying and praying during the Shoa ? It did not help either . Their claim is FAKE , no value at all . They tell it only to avoid to serve in the IDF .

On what ? The two poorest towns in Israel , Bene brak and Jerusalem , have a big proportion , or even a majority of charidim . Poor people generally don't have ANY taxable income . So from where do they pay taxes ?

that this Eliezer Hayon is a real person and not a "journalist troll"? This has to be one of the more moronic articles I've read in my life. I think. I didn't really understand most of it and I don't think most of the talkbackers did either. Haredim are not "interested" in serving in the army??!! Now there's a very articulate presentation of the haredi position - now he has everyone convinced! That was easy enough. Troll, troll, troll article. (And how surprising that it be printed on Ynet!)

I know charedim that are true parasites in the finest meaning of the word. They are proud of it,and stop at nothing to exploit it. However there are many others who actually are happy to serve, and do, such as my sons who were in combat units including special forces. There is a problem with social acceptance by the group as a whole.

Here we were fed the lie that every Chareidi - young or old, smart or dumb, inclined towards Torah study or not - could neither work nor serve in the army because a) Torah is their "profession" and b) Torah study is what protects Israel and not the army. So now Hayon tells the real truth - it was never about Torah after all. After all, he is more than willing to have the rest of us pay to have Chareidim become educated and get jobs. But to have Chareidim put their lives at risk to defend Israel, well that just isn't going happen according to Hayon. Here's my proposal - you refuse to serve and we cut off all of the many benefits and funding you now get, including healthcare and utilities. And if you still don't want to serve we can relocate you to the borders with Gaza and Lebanon so that you can 'protect' the people already there with your distortion of Torah.

I just read a post on mysticalpaths.com where the author told the story of his son entering Nachal Haredi and how abused he was by the IDF after basic training. There are haredim willing to serve, but is the IDF willing to step up to the plate and accommodate them? The answer is no. The haredi units are filled up, which says more about the true feelings of these young men than this author gives them credit for.

#11 absolutly Right! Who are they? Not defended by IDF? Idf protects all of us! Besides IDF gives a task appropriate to each individual! and How about national service? Very compatible with studies They don't deserve any More Funding they should be ashamed if themselves after pedophilia on100kids should make it up to society somehow wasting time for the government while they are pulling they hair with all the war fronts, the migrants! Time to give something to keep Israel. It is going to slip through our hands with this constant struggle. Plus They spray paint graffiti onYad Vashem, worse than our ennemies!