Heads of the hesder yeshiva world hit back Wednesday at Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, following the latter's threat to shut them down if calls for military inubordination continue.
Head of the hesder yeshiva in Petah Tikva, Rabbi David Stav, told Ynet, "The chief of staff's comments are very serious. Hesder rabbis are citizens of this country, not Halutz's private employees. We will continue to voice our opinions about Torah law, values, and morals, without fear of reprisal from the chief of staff."
Rabbi Stav added the hesder world has taught student-soldiers Torah, Jewish law, citizenship and military discipline for decades, and said Lt. Gen. Halutz should have leveled his criticism at the individuals in question privately, rather than via the media.
In addition, he said it was unreasonable to point the finger at the hesder world, for the simple reason that most leaders of hesder yeshivas oppose military insubordination on moral and halachic (Jewish law) grounds.
Halutz threatens
Stav was responding to a veiled threat by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz Tuesday night to shut down hesder yeshivas and military preparatory schools because of their association with anti-pullout conscientious objection.
Halutz said that he worried the phenomenon would snowball as the date for disengagement gets closer and warned the army would not tolerate such actions.
In a tour with Defense Minister Mofaz of an artillery base in the north, Halutz was asked to respond to the story of refuser Cpl. Avi Beiber, who was sentenced to 56 days in jail.
"Let's be clear," he said. "We will not tolerate refusers"
Halutz then landed the bomb, saying, “The announcement applies unequivocally to all those who call for insubordination, and I am targeting my statement mainly at the leaders of the hesder yeshivas and pre-army colleges.”
"You cannot have a dual system and call on people to refuse orders and at the same time enjoy the conditions the IDF offers the hesder yeshivas,” he said. “This will not go on if this phenomenon becomes common."
Initial response
Knesset Member Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) said that the IDF chief of staff was authoring a blood libel against hesder yeshivas and military preparatory schools.
No one in either educational program called on students to refuse orders, Orlev said.
"I call upon the defense minister and chief of staff to apologize to the yeshiva heads and to salute their soldiers, who are the backbone of the combat units and IDF command. Even Halutz cannot teach them about Zionism, state sovereignty, and loyalty to the state."
First published: 21:43, 06.28.5