Many of us have been following the news about the Israeli government’s efforts to draft religious Jews – the protests, the angry words and the most recently proposed law. But maybe there is a simple solution to the issue that both sides could agree on: they would pass a law that only people who serve in the military have voting rights in the state. They will no longer force anyone to serve, and the decision will be up to the individual.
This should satisfy the secular Zionists because either way they will benefit: either they will get the chareidim to serve, or else they will be rid of those pesky chareidi parties that always force their way in the Knesset and siphon money away from the state. In fact, Yair Lapid himself promoted this idea last year.
It should also satisfy the chareidi public because service in the IDF will become completely optional, whether you’re learning 9 hours, 4 hours or none at all. No one will hunt down bochurim and drag them into police cars. Also, it will be left up to each individual bochur (not like the most recent law, which will make it up to the rosh yeshivas to report their own talmidim who come late to seder).
Most gedolim are against all the various draft compromises, which essentially hand over some boys in order to spare others. Just today there was strongly worded poster signed by a group of Sephardi roshei yeshiva against the current proposed law, among them Rabbi Moshe Tzadka and Rabbi Benzion Mutzafi. Gedolim like these should get in touch with their so-called representatives and tell them to support the no serve / no vote idea next time it is raised in Knesset.
I would bet that if this becomes the law, most if not all bochurim would pass up enlisting even if it means losing their voting right. Most people, even those passionate about politics, are quite lazy about voting as an individual, and would skip it even due to a minor inconvenience like traveling somewhere or missing work/school.
If the chareidi parties do oppose my idea, they will be exposed as just interested in staying in power, even at the expense of ehrliche Yidden who just happen to have a part time job to support their families, or happen to not be able to learn full time – or are simply having trouble proving their enrollment in a “recognized yeshiva”.
Even if the chareidi parties don’t let this law pass, the army can still adopt it as an option. That is, they can allow any individual to voluntarily sign a piece of paper that he gives up his right to vote, and in exchange that individual will receive an exemption from army service. For those who don’t want to serve and also don’t want to give up their rights, the struggle can continue, with the chareidi parties trying to negotiate a solution as they are now. What’s in it for the Israeli government? They know that there are many within the chareidi community who just want to be left alone and are unsatisfied with the advocacy of their own politicians. These people can opt out, which will weaken the strength of the chareidi parties.
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