MAKING ‘HISTORY’…

It’s quite clear to everyone, including Messrs. Bennett and Lapid, that we should not expect to see hundreds of eighteen-year olds in army uniforms walking down the streets of B’nei Brak and Mea Sh’arim anytime during the next few years. They honestly can’t imagine that the rule of law will shut down the yeshivos and the world of Torah will be an endless source of IDF recruits. Yet, they continue to push the empty wagon of compulsory draft legislation, as if there’s no Iran and no Pakistan – merely a few ultra-Orthodox scholars sitting in yeshiva in B’nei Brak whose noses must be extricated from their Gemaras. 

1.

Naftali Bennett is very excited. Yes, the all-purpose minister of trade, industry, economics, and religious affairs is certain that the day of celebration has arrived: the “Shaked Commission,” named after his party and parliamentary colleague, is beginning to pass the long-awaited legislation on compulsory military conscription. He states that he and his partner in crime, the esteemed minister of finance, his former blood-brother Yair Lapid, are “making history.” This is how he perceives the law designed to force the will of the majority upon the minority living in its midst. From a legislative standpoint, compulsory military conscription is not a means of re-educating the chareidim, but a way to “connect the ultra-Orthodox to the world of employment in Eretz Yisroel.” Last week, he publicized a joyous announcement on the “history” that he and his friend, Mr. Lapid, are making. 

It can be said to Bennett’s credit, however, that he really does see these things with such total naïveté. This is exactly the same naïveté that led him to erect a square for Reform prayer at the foot of Har HaBayis. This is the same naïveté that led to that “historic covenant” with the anti-religious Yesh Atid Party, which last week caused far greater damage to the Zionist yeshivos than to their ultra-Orthodox counterparts. And of course, it is this same naïveté that encourages his continued service as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “iron bridge” – en route to the next expulsion.

Yet, somewhere along the way, Mr. Bennett has forgotten the simple fact, albeit most painful, that while he was rejoicing and celebrating over this historic legislation, there was a large sector of the general public in Eretz Yisroel that feels it is being intentionally trampled. Indeed, just three weeks ago, the state publicized information revealing the high level of unemployment among soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. Do they really want “an equal sharing of the national burden”? What’s so terrible about a professional volunteer army, a military force that also integrates the ultra-Orthodox into its ranks, but without coercion? Why do they have to take measures that are totally unrealistic? It’s quite clear to everyone, including Messrs. Bennett and Lapid, that we should not expect to see hundreds of eighteen-year olds in army uniforms walking down the streets of B’nei Brak and Mea Sh’arim anytime soon. Yet, they continue to push the empty wagon of compulsory draft legislation, as if there’s no Iran and no Pakistan – merely a few ultra-Orthodox scholars sitting in yeshiva in B’nei Brak whose noses must be extricated from their Gemaras. 

2.

Two weeks ago, in response to the outcry over ultra-nationalist singer Ariel Zilber receiving a lifetime achievement award, numerous quotes from prominent left-wing politicians were dug out of the historical media archives, in which they attack the settlers and the ultra-Orthodox in extremely harsh terms. One claimed that we have to go up to the Ofra settlement with tanks, another demanded shooting at settlers with live ammunition, while yet another said that if he were an Arab, he would act towards them like a Hamas terrorist… In short, this represents hatred in its rawest form, veiled in terms of peace and justice.

However, there are those who didn’t just reveal their sincere desire to “give it” to the settlers and the ultra-Orthodox, they took real action to achieve this objective. True, they don’t shoot at them with live ammunition – that’s neither ethical nor cultured behavior. As an alternative, they find more original methods to do this with a big smile that conceals their real intentions. Instead of rolling into Ofra with tanks, they lawfully pass Knesset legislation to expel all Jews from the Gaza Strip, and then Ariel Sharon’s tractors plow into the settlements of Gush Katif and destroy everything in sight – root and branch.

Now, it’s the turn of the ultra-Orthodox to endure the urge people have to shoot them – in a civilized manner, of course. Here too, no one is talking about opening fire on Yeshivat Beit Matityahu in B’nei Brak – that wouldn’t be very refined. Thus, they pass legislation that will show these chareidim who’s running the show around here, sending the military police out to put them in handcuffs and incarcerate them in IDF Prison No. 6.

3.

The recent actions to “re-educate” the ultra-Orthodox and to compel them to obey the rule of law now have a new partner: the very party of the downtrodden and the oppressed. This party, which had represented those who were always oppressed and deemed uneducated, today stands alongside those who seek to show the chareidim who’s boss. The “Shaked Commission,” named after Bayit Yehudi faction chairman Ayelet Shaked, is the body assigned with drafting the compulsory conscription law that Bennett is so happy about. This is what happens when they try to find favor in the eyes of the sovereign state of Tel Aviv, and are prepared to pay any price for it.

However, Bennett forgot a few details on the way to fulfilling his vision of compulsory military service. He forgot that as soon as the conscription saga is over and the police units stop roaming around B’nei Brak, they’ll switch their attention from black to orange. Yes, those same orange forces whom they already tried to re-educate and show them who’s in charge. Bennett has also forgotten about the ever-present swinging door of politics, and standing on the other side are his Knesset colleagues – Yair Lapid and Tzippi Livni, who are constantly thinking about how to do to the religious Zionists exactly what he’s helping them to do to the ultra-Orthodox.

4.

To this day, the leaders of the Bayit Yehudi Party claim that they are in the coalition in order to save Eretz Yisroel. If they really wanted to save something, they have only one way: resign from the coalition and bring it down before parties such as Labor and Shas climb aboard the government bandwagon, thereby giving Netanyahu the security net he needs to divide Yerushalayim. 

Last week, Housing Minister Uri Ariel claimed that no diplomatic agreement has been reached, “As far as we know – based on limited yet reliable sources – there is no agreement currently on the agenda,” he stated. “We have a situation in which the United States will present a general outline. The two sides will express their reservations with the proposal, each declaring that they have significant remarks. They will further say that they are asking the United States to continue mediating for another year.” The housing minister then added one qualification: “I’m not here in the role of national tranquilizer. There’s reason for concern.” His words are strikingly reminiscent to those of the NRP ministers, who remained fastened to their seats around the Cabinet table while Sharon was advancing the Gush Katif expulsion. 

5.

Here’s something else I found in the archives: “This morning (Sunday), at eleven o’clock, the government will assemble for a discussion and a crucial vote on the Prime Minister’s phased disengagement plan, while the National Religious Party’s threat to withdraw floats in the background. The government’s meeting was called for eleven o’clock, two hours later than usual, because the law requires a period of forty-eight hours between the submission of the letters of resignation [of Ministers Avigdor Lieberman and Benny Elon] and their taking effect. At this same time, Ministers Netanyahu, [Limor] Livnat, and [Silvan] Shalom met in Tel Aviv. One of the ministers said in closed session: ‘NRP chairman Orlev deceived us. He violated the understandings we had reached.’ The minister related to the fact that the new compromise was born out of the framework that Orlev himself had drawn up.” The press release continued: “Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office expressed optimism regarding the chances to reach a compromise with Orlev.” 

This was written a year and a half before the expulsion was carried out, when the disengagement plan was brought up for Cabinet approval. However, the NRP refused to leave the coalition. Even Orlev didn’t want to be the national tranquilizer – he just wanted to be a Cabinet minister. The press release also included a reaction from former NRP Knesset Member Gila Finkelstein: “Ideologically speaking, we will not sit in a government that uproots settlements. However, as soon as we walk out, MK Shimon Peres will go in and restore the original disengagement plan. Therefore, we have to agree to the compromise that was reached.” Now, all you have to do is replace the name Z’vulun Orlev with Uri Ariel, Gila Finkelstein with Ayelet Shaked, and you get the same deal. Six of one, half a dozen of the other – as if nothing has changed and no one has learned any lessons.

6.

There’s only one hope to stop the next expulsion – and that’s to prevent what’s happening now with the legislation on compulsory military draft. If those nationalist politicians identified with the cause of Eretz Yisroel acted in a childish manner, exacting their revenge upon the chareidim by forcibly drafting them into the army, we have to hope and pray that the ultra-Orthodox politicians will have enough sense not to act as they did prior to the Gush Katif expulsion. Nearly nine years ago, they joined Sharon’s “disengagement” coalition, and MK Rabbi Yaakov Litzman laughed all the way to the Dead Sea. He laid the groundwork for the passage of the Gaza “evacuation-compensation” bill, claiming that he had to participate in a conference for the Israel Postal Authority.

The truth is that no one could really make any claims against the ultra-Orthodox for their response. The wounds that “Tommy” Lapid and his parliamentary colleagues in the National Religious Party had left behind were still very fresh. Just two years earlier, the chareidim had been dealt the initial blow with the first cuts in child allowances, the closing of the Religious Affairs Ministry, and the slashing of budgetary allocations for yeshiva programs. What could anyone possibly say to them as they nursed their injuries suffered at the hands of the Lapid-NRP partnership?

The main hope is that it won’t happen this time. Perhaps a miracle will occur, and after Bennett and his cohorts are thrown out of the coalition, when Netanyahu presents his new disengagement plan for Knesset approval, the ultra-Orthodox MKs will refrain from recalling how the Bayit Yehudi Party chairman celebrated “the historic day” when the compulsory draft legislation became law.