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Haredim abstinence from army, economy threatens Israeli society: Nave

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
29 Mar 2024 13:52

A co-founder of the Israeli "Brothers in Arms" opposition movement underlines the urgency of recruiting Ultra-Orthodox Jews to military service.

Israeli police disperse demonstrators from the "Brothers in Arms" movement including co-founders Eyal Nave, bottom-right, and Ron Scherf, center-left, who block a road outside the residence of Israeli "Justice" Minister Yariv Levin during a protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system, in "Modiin", occupied Palestine, September 11, 2023. (AP)

"Israel" will fall apart if the Israeli military command does not recruit Ultra-Orthodox Jews, a founder of the Israeli "Brothers in Arms" opposition movement, Eyal Nave, said as quoted by the Israeli media outlet Walla!.

Nave's "Brother in Arms" gained prominence during Israeli protests against several reforms that Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government sought to implement. Among these reforms was a new conscription law that aimed to further protect Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis from military conscription.

"If Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox Jews) do not join the army and the economy, then the Israeli society will fall apart in 20 years time," Nave asserted.

Nave and other retired occupation troops formed the organization earlier in 2023, hoping to hinder Netanyahu's attempt at a judicial overhaul, which would strengthen and protect his authority as Prime Minister.

Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon take their toll on Israeli military

Recently, the Israeli Supreme Court has decided to withhold government-provided aid to students in religious schools, who are set to be conscripted on April 1. In this context, Nave said that the Israeli occupation's military urgently needs 10,000 soldiers to carry out operational and fighting duties.

He pointed to the war on Gaza, open engagement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Palestinian Resistance in the West Bank, underscoring the critical necessity for immediate recruitment to address escalating engagements across these fronts.

"We need Ultra-Orthodox [Jews] to extend a helping hand to us," Nave underlined.

Nave who had helped promote several statements in which Israeli reservists pledged to refuse military service, due to the decisions of the Netanyahu government, said that deployed Israeli reservist troops need to return to their jobs.

"Which manager will allow me [to come back to my job] after I have left for the 3 months?" he asked rhetorically.

"In 20 years there will be no state called Israel if they (Haredim) do not join the economy and the army. There are economic difficulties... Ultra-Orthodox should join the mobilization or else the Israeli society will fall apart."

An impractical but essential part of settler-colonial 'Israel'

It is worth noting that around half of Israeli Ultra-Orthdox Jewish men do not work, with the previous government calling on 50% of the population to join the workforce. Most of these men study religious texts, which they religiously abide by in their everyday life and practice.

Some schools of thought have encouraged military service to Haredim Jews, however, the majority refuse to serve in the occupation's military. Non-Haredim Israelis view the phenomenon as hypocritical and have urged equal service among all members of the settler colonial community.

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the mass casualties incurred by the occupation have brought the necessity of Haredim's military service to the forefront. Members of the Israeli war cabinet, including Benny Gantz and Security Minister Yoav Gallant, have advocated for their recruitment. However, the far-right and religious parties which provided the necessary numbers for the formation of the larger coalition government have opposed equal recruitment even during "wartime".

Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have both been critical of Nave and the "Brothers in Arms" movement. Ben-Gvir has had his own legal row with the organization after they accused him of escaping military service, while Smotrich has called them a "bunch of trolls."

The issue of recruitment remains one of the most critical issues whose contradictions are intrinsically tied to the formation of the Israeli occupation government and the subsequent mass migration of settlers to occupied territories. Deep-seated division surrounding this issue represents one facet of many challenges imperiling the sustainability of the Israeli occupation, contributing significantly to its potential downfall.