Female IDF Draft Update: Parshas Toldos, 5780
Nov. 27, '19
By Binyomin Feinberg, Contributor to The Jewish Press*
FeinbergBinyomin@gmail.com* The perspectives and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of The Jewish Press.
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It was recently revealed that yet another Jewish girl, Donna bas Haddas, has been languishing in an Israeli military prison (number 4) - for over two and a half weeks - refusing to succumb to immense pressure to enlist in the IDF. Having just turned 20, and being engaged to be married, Donna was arrested on Nov. 10. She had had been represented by a public defender. She is facing an vigorous legal battle. (Her draft date was in March, '18.).
She very much needs our immediate support. The Israeli government wouldn't persist in persecution of girls who refuse military service if there would only be sufficient protest from enough individuals in Diaspora (especially American) Orthodox communities.
Moreover, far more than she needs us to help her - WE need to help her. That is because her profuse tears are being carefully counted in the Heavenly Court, to determine precisely how much Divine Justice will rain down on us - and on whom specifically - for tolerating these ongoing travesties involving innocent girls suffering untold pain in the military justice system, all for their steadfast refusal to be forced into military service. We know from our Sages that "He extends His Wrath," but, ultimately, "He collects His dues."
B"H, another girl, O. H., a 19 y/o Chareidiah from the south, was just released this week, after languishing perhaps about two weeks in Military Prison number 6. She too had been incarcerated for a quite a while without public awareness of her plight. She still seeks to secure her military exemption.
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While some may expect the government to be preoccupied with it's own dysfunction, and unprecedented missile threats from multiple staging areas, the terrorization of young women seeking to avoid being forced into the military continues. As does the overall deafening silence of the ostensibly rightwing and religious parties. Even when there was a Jewish military which operated al-pi-Torah, under a King and the Sanhedrin, immorality put our national security in grave danger. (See VaYikra 18). How much more so does that danger apply nowadays, given the rampant immorality within the IDF.
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