The writer quotes Justice Ayala Procaccia saying a solution requires "step by step". It's not clear to me what should the first steps be. In any other country where there is military duty, there is no such thing as exemptions. In Israël's case the first steps were to create units where the haredim could fit in. if there was good will from the haredi side, it would never have been necessary to enforce a solution. Sadly enough, good will seems to be scarce

can today be likened to a candle burning at both ends. At one end the Religious community, in all its forms, will continue to grow. At the other end the Arab community, both Israeli citizens and Palestinians, will also continue to grow. The two shall eventually meet in the middle and boom, no Israel as we know it and as the Founding Fathers intended. To aggrevate and expedite this on going, irreversible and irrefutable process, the ones in the middle will leave for other pastures in increasing numbers. The writing is on the wall, but the blind cannot see.

It is simply not true that the majority of haredim wants to have such a model. Learning Torah is the highest value, and working is a mean to sustain themselves. Some want to work more, some want to learn more, but there isn't a 'movement' nor 'majority' of people trying to impose that system. All value Torah learning and observance over any other posibility.

You wrote In any other country where there is military duty, there is no such thing as exemptions. Oh really? When I was a yeshiva student in Lakewood New Jersey, during the Vietnam war, I was classed as 4-D - Exempted as a Divinity Student. There was no limit as to how many students got this exemption. That is why there are so many members of the clergy today in America who do not believe in God. They went to seminary to exempt themselves from the draft. Helps if you know what you are talking about.

of 20 years of age went into battle against the italions & beat the crap out of them. They sent their XXII Deuteronion legion back to italy. And Jews were allowed out of military service if their "hearts were too weary for war" and/or "they were newly married and "they had not "known" their wife". The best part of Hareidi is that they know how to make Jewish children & doven. But they also must contribute work, taxes & military service to the State of Israel. We are made in the "image of H-Shem", therefore we must serve in the image of H-Shem; which means: first we must serve (and they do not) & second we must do so in a morally & ethically upright simultude to H-Shem. Hareidi are brought up as if all are going into the Rabbinate, but do they ? No they don't ! It is time for them to join the Nation of Israel !

Had not the public media all of them over the years increasingly forced extreme Western" Values" on the public extremism of the religious public would not have increased more and more traditional Jews are fed up and disgusted with the constant "missionizing" by the secular media ( paid for by all the public) of our youth which is more than partially responsible for the moral morass Israel finds itself in today. It has lost much of the respect of Jews and non Jews around the world they come and see our sad reality .The media with the full support of all of Israel's" leaders" allowed the public media to take a relatively innocent and naïve Jewish public and mold them into something which can only be termed "grotesque"

lifestyle, so is our own Orthodox Judaism: a cult beyond reach of the sane .

the realization of which is absent in this op-ed. What this "haredi" minority are doing is challenging the authority of the state, not just defending their protected (so long as do not impinge on other citizens, of threaten the state) religious beliefs. What is represented in this op-ed is poorly conceived op-ed is provision for any self-conceited minority to challenge society and be tolerated, regardless of cost to the welfare of the state.

Very good explanation of what is and will continue to happen. Israel's Armageddon will take place between the Arab and Haredi communities, which will in time dominate society. It will be a showdown never before witnessed because of the fact that both sides are prepared to sacrifice life in favor of "Gods, Prophets and Holy Books". A sad reflection on both religion and humanity.

For decades the haredim have been insulting us and spitting in our faces, taking our tax money and enlisting tens of thousands of shlemiels as supposed Torah-scholars. And now this guy tells us that it's our fault for them bad mouthing us all these decades? Humbug! The haredim take their orders from the money-hungry "rabbis" who run their hamulot and keep their followers in the poorhouse and the money in their own pockets.

Although, the author is correct about their being two camps within the Haredi community, I find that the author still is not dealing with the issue that is truly affecting this community and Israel as a whole. That is whether or not these people are going to grow up and take any sort of responsibility for their lives at all. They want their lives to be sustained completely by the works and deeds of others. Although this might be enjoyable for them, it is not for the rest of us, nor is it what Torah itself says on the matter. It seems to me that they follow in the footsteps of the mystics of the 1 century BCE (i.e. - Essenes). However, if that's the lifestyle they truly desire, then they need to move to the dessert (Negev) away from us and leave us alone. They can live off the land as they so choose, and as long as they do not tell me how to live my life, as long as they're self sufficient and take care of themselves, then I for one do not care what they do or think. In reality though, they want to impose upon the secular majority in Israel to live by their value system, a system in which means that people not like them are treated as second class citizens yet used as beasts of burden in order to protect their sense of security, no matter how bad it gets for everyone else. This is the hypocrisy of the Haredim. Secular Israel has it's share of problems no doubt, no one is perfect, but the haredi should at least acknowledge that as long as they live here, they too should be apart of the society. If they do join, I think they would be quite surprised at how accepting the rest of us would be of them. If one tones down the rhetoric of threatening civil war every time someone mentions equal share, then maybe we can have peace between brothers. Let there be a separation between state and religion, for the health and safety of both institutions.

and the rest of the leftie-looney femi-journo dinosaur media.

I work 12-14 hours a day, and I study "Torah" (actually talmud, since I finished Tanaakh) and while I know that other people might not be able to do both (laziness, stupidity, better things to do) I know that most people who "learn" do so as a waste of time. I mean they do not remember not apply anything they learn. So while they are called Isachar (he was actually a herder) or Zebulon (another herder) the name is meaningless. The Torah obligates us to work. "learning" is a bastardization of the hebrew word "teach" which we are obligate to (teach our children) thereby continue to have a relationship with our children by teaching them our laws and traditions. Some claim they let the rabbi "teach". In that case let the rabbi make your kids for you. Because my working hands are tiered of supporting your lazy butt.

But then, if an all-out conflict with the Arabs starts, after the seculars have left for greener pastures, the Haredi will finally have to serve in the military. Because no one will accept them as immigrants with their (lack) of skills.

it for ages. Just allow their brains enough oxygen so they don't suffocate, but make sure they stay "under influence" of the religious CO2!

It's all very interesting but you live in a country which has certain demands made of it's citizens for the common good. The state doesn't care about what I believe or what I'd rather be doing, it takes me into the army whenever it needs. Anyone who doesn't like the system should be living in a country where they do like the system.Also, getting the Haredim out of the gov't is a completely legitimate democratic move, earned with interest!

will have to give in, because they flow of money from government will cease.

Lets educate them!

According to them God is the entire military, men officers and hardware, and he is the C in C. He will save the day just as he did in Egypt, 3000 years ago.

The mobilisation of the Haredim ought proceed with sensitivity and coolness for Israel needs many more Jews in Israel and the Haredim have large families that live in the great majority modestly.Creative and productive inputs to national security need more time and patience.

Priest , oldest child of widows and so on were exempted from military service .Today,i think,they have a professional army.

Many thanks indeed for your clear and perceptive analysis. The new coalition is a disaster. Bibi foresaw this but in the end was stuck with it.

the foreign body,Israel,because they introduced Western culture in their midst. islam would most probably tolerate a religious Israel .

Why would any G-d fearing and Torah observing Jew would want to be part of the low waistline-asscrack-showing secular Israeli culture?

It is amazing that every week after Shabbat I see these articles with comments that bash the Haredim. The majority of these type of articles seem to be overwhelmingly published on Fridays. That gives the religion-haters a full day to rant without religious people being able to reply. I am not Haredi, but I can fully understand why religious families don't want their children in the regular army. Just last week's video of the Israeli female soldiers should be proof enough. Anyone who thinks that video is only an example of a few girls obviously never spent time in the army either. There is more hooking up in the army here than in any bar or club. Why did the army insist on having female soldiers interview the new male Haredi recruits? WHY? Just to prove they can and fan the flames as the article says. To do this the smart way, male soldiers should have interviewed the men, and special units should be set up to allow the Haredim to be in the army while still preserving their lifestyle. Atheists and the secular are always crying that the religious want to force their lifestyles on others, so the hypocrisy here is clear. These people have a right to their lifestyle as well, so let them serve in religious units. More dialogue and better planning could have made this a better transition. Now the Haredim just have more ammo to fight against this. Stupid decisions have been made, all in the name of hating and abusing the "awful" Haredim. It did not have to be like this, but sadly, hating the other is the favorite Israeli pastime today

in a way befitting Orthodox Jews? Beware of hilul Hashem.

Wow, a video of the partially nude Israeli female soldiers got you horrified not the horror of another one ‘Breaking the Silence’ with IDF ex-female soldiers testimonies of your ugly occupation - Talking about twisted minds ,...

Where? Who the hell needs a V-column of unruly, isolationist, assimilation resistant, parasitic crooks and schorrers? ,... Isn't that why they got their lazy asses kicked out of 109 countries and places since 250 AD? ,...

'They want their lives to be sustained completely by the works and deeds of others' - Exactly !!! Now imagine other nations like those in eastern Europe invaded by them and had to put up with this crap and much greater numbers for centuries not to mention being stabbed in the back every time other invader showed up at their borders by welcoming the enemy and collaborating with the occupier taking advantage anyway they could to enrich themselves of at the expense of their hosts ,... They're your headache now, keep em ,...