Halutz: Why should my kids serve if others won't?
(VIDEO) In rare and harsh comment, chief of staff slams High Court judges who decided not to cancel Tal Law enabling yeshiva students to defer military service
VIDEO - IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz joined a long list of those attacking the High Court decision to uphold the Tal Law, which allows yeshiva students to defer military service.
Halutz speaks (Video: Channel 2)
Halutz said that responsibility should be shared among everyone, and that anyone who cannot be drafted should do national service (non-military programs to aid the country.)
"There is no reason why my children should serve, but others won't serve at all," Halutz said during a conference of the Office of Trade and Industry in Be'er Sheva.
Halutz said that "there is a pending numerical number in terms of the drafting of IDF soldiers from the point of view of equality and responsibility. 24 percent of youths eligible for the draft do not get drafted and I think everyone has to be drafted, but there is a law which is followed. As a father, whose children serve in the army, I would want to see all the children serving."
On a separate issue, Halutz added that by the year 2012 most of the IDF's bases will move to the Negev.
"We are still waiting for checks to be completes in order to start moving the IDF southwards," he said.
The High Court rejected petitions against the law for deferring military service for yeshiva students on Thursday morning.
Anat Barshkovsky contributed to the report
