9 Tishrei, 5780 / Oct. 8, '19 (updated post)
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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Uncomfortable Questions for Comfortable (IDF) Draft Officers:
We reported earlier on the plight of Ziva bas Mazel, for example, here:
https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/09/orthodox-jewish-girl-languishing-in.html
Now, some uncomfortable questions:
1. Why did Ziva bas Mazal,* a black religious girl, from an Orthodox Jewish Ethiopian family, get pummeled with a whopping 31 day sentence in Israeli military prison - for refusing to violate her faith and personal modesty by enlisting in the Israeli military?
{* Last names are usually omitted, at the preferences of the girl's family, except when print publication requires it, and circumstances allow it.}
2. Why did Ziva get hit with an additional order to comply with the IDF's antireligious draft order - on pain of an additional SIXTY days in military prison?
3. In this disregard for Ziva's religious and legal rights, what was the role of Avner Lotati, the Segan Mefakaid (usually translated "Deputy Commander;" in this case perhaps more accurately: "Vice Commander") who interviewed Ziva in the process leading to her aforementioned sentencing?
4. What precisely is the Ageless Wisdom behind Avner Lotati's fatwa that a determination about Ziva's religiosity should be made THREE MONTHS after forcing her into the military? Firstly, she is religious, and they know she is religious. Even the Draft Office "frummies" couldn't find an iota of evidence otherwise. Secondly, even if we employ "Willing Suspension of Disbelief," and pretend to entertain the notion that there is indeed some "question" about her [incontrovertible] religiosity - that "question" must be adjudicated prior to drafting - not afterward.
5. Why was there an attempt (thank G-d, unsuccessful) to keep Ziva imprisoned over the Yom Kippur fast-day - the holiest day of the year - by pressuring her not to seek a holiday-release? Was the intent to use her holiday stay in prison to "prove" that "she's not really so religious" - in order to retroactively justify the "Emperor-has-no-Clothes" Lotati Narrative?
A similar modus operandi was employed against other religious girls. One was in the famous saga of Yuval bas Tamar, an unquestionably religious girl who heroically endured excruciating abuse in avoiding the military draft in 2018. First, officials endangered her physical health to the extent that she was obligated to travel on Shabbos; then the draft officers used that (Halachically-required) travel to argue that she wasn't fully religious.
6. May there be - just perhaps - a taint of antireligious racism operative here, working against Ziva? On Feb.10, 2012, Tami Maor reported that the head of IDF Manpower, Ornah Barbibai, in an official visit to the ancient city of Tzefas [accompanied by draft officials of the T'veriah (Tiberias) Draft Office] articulated an IDF goal: to target Ethiopian Jewish immigrants in absorption centers -- and to restrict girls' religious exemptions from military service (see "Historia Chozeres," p. 200 for a copy of the orginal report). Also see Aluma.org.il regarding their focus on increasing military enlistment in the Ethiopian community, along with their promotion of drafting religious girls (in general).
Why are Ethiopian immigrants fodder for elitist Israeli social engineering?
Israeli society is predominantly traditional, if not fully observant. However, the government and social elite have always been dominated, to one extent or another by secularist (often - but not exclusively - leftist) elites.
Historically, darker skinned Jews have suffered immensely under the antireligious, secularist Israeli Establishment. Much information has come out in recent years about the kidnapping of Yemenite babies perpetrated by (predominantly secularist) governmental officials decades ago. Jews of Sephardic countries experienced discrimination as well. In wake of the arrival of Ethiopians, they too encounter cultural bullying from the elitist, antireligious Israeli Establishment.
The Torah emphatically and repeatedly exhorts us against oppression of the powerless: the poor, converts, widows, and orphans. In fact, those who cannot fight back actually benefit from an elevated level of Divine Protection (e.g. see Parshas Mishpatim (Exodus) 22:20-26, and Rash"i).
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A Little Background:
Ziva's encounter with the Israeli military actually started almost a year ago. In the wake of her recent arrest (reported in The Jewish Press two weeks ago), it climaxed with a recent interview with Avner Lotati, Deputy Commander of "Maitav." (Maitav is the military draft division, charged with drafting teenage girls, thereby providing a continuous influx of young females into the secularist-run, male-dominated Israeli military - all in flagrant violation of Jewish Law, according to leading Rabbis from across the spectrum.)
As indicated above, the Lotati interview resulted in a denial of Ziva's right to a religious exemption, a sentence of 31 days in military prison, and sixty additional days for any future refusal to succumb to the military draft. Moreover, this isn't the first time Lotati has committed such a travesty. He similarly denied other demonstrably religious girls their religious exemptions as well, e.g. Penina bas Sima, a girl from a national-religious background, several months ago. Even according to Israeli law, religious girls are supposed to be exempted from military service (the Torah prohibits drafting any girl or woman, of any religion, or degree of religiosity, ethnic background). However, in 2013, the Israeli government issued a policy shift, explicitly seeking to boost enlistment of religious girls.
Increasingly, the antireligious elite has been trying to limit religious exemptions for girls, especially disadvantaged girls, or those on the societal periphery. All sorts of outrageous abuses have been occurring over that past year or two, under the"right wing" government of Binyomin Netanyahu.
It's apparent that Ziva is being disadvantaged by both elitist, secularist racism and antireligious sentiment. While mistreatment for any reason, including race or ethnic background, is against the Torah, what's more revolting here is that it's being perpetrated by a government claiming to function as a Jewish State.
Ziva has been assisted by religious Jews internationally and domestically. For example, Orthodox Jewish activists held volleys of vocal support rallies outside her military prison nightly, and throughout the night. They made sure to convey to everyone on site that Ziva's oppressive treatment will not be tolerated by Orthodox Jewry.
However, given the persecution she's enduring, and the spectre of another two months of military incarceration R"L - far more needs to be done, not only for Ziva, but for all of those girls who share her fortitude to stand up to the exploitive IDF -- and for all those girls who - unfortunately - do not.
We must never lose sight of the strategy at work here. For every girl the military arrests, imprisons, and/or persecutes, there are dozens or perhaps hundreds who succumb to pressure and terror. We share a responsibility for all of them, from the very strong to the timid and weak. (See Yechezkel 34, for example.) We will have to answer what we did when their cries rose to the Heavens. And there are few merits which compete with the merit of saving innocent girls from the moral, spiritual, psychological, and physical dangers of military service, especially in such an immoral, exploitive environment.
The saintly Chofetz Chaim (who, incidentally, has what to say about some of the types of perpetrators with whom these girls contend (cf. Kovetz He'Oros, Aggada, 10:1-6)) explains the advice given in the Talmud on how to avoid the Birthpangs of the Messiah, "Chevlei Moshiach," namely: "Ya'asok baTorah u'Gemilus Chassodim," to become "involved" in Torah and kindness. "Ya'asok," he explains, is a term alluding to business, indicating that we should maximize our investment of effort in these endeavors by treating them as seriously as we'd treat a business. This cause certainly is one providing some of the most potent merits we could hope for. It includes both pidyon shevuyim and hatzolas nefashos - physically and spiritually.
Have an uplifting Yom Kippur and Chag HaSukkos,
BF
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To check for Giyus Banos updates throughout the week, view this link (copy into your browser, if need be) :
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dPo1_Y-0u6ry7tLcfF2RbQuEFrIG-BccszjeG9FAdSw/edit?usp=sharing
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Supplement Background information:
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Emergency contact number of "Shalhevet" organization for girls in trouble with the IDF draft to contact for immediate assistance:
Shalhevet:
v: 039 584 048 ext 2
Or 3192 * to leave a message
e: 6202300@gmail.com
שלהבת 039584048 שלוחה 2
או 3192*
להשאיר הודעה
6202300@gmail.com
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Another example of the IDF Draft Office advancing an antireligious agenda:
Avigail L. H. Report #2 (28 Aug.,'19 / 27 Av, 5779)
https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/alh-report-2-28-augviolating-vineyard.html
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This link below, to the initial Report on Avigail L. H., is also embedded in the above article:
27 Aug. °° 26 Av, 5779
https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/another-religious-girl-and-her-idf-vet.html
Update 5 Ellul '79:
https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/09/violating-vineyard-update.html
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WHAT'S AT STAKE IN FORCING GIRLS INTO THE IDF?
For background on the moral hazards of service in the IDF, these links detail promiscuity & rampant abortion in IDF. We cannot recommend or take responsibility for information on other sites, but the serious researcher should be aware of these reports. Additionally, especially for our religious readers, one should be wary of the nature of any such site before accessing it, to avoid unprepared exposure to objectionable materials.
1)
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/40-cases-of-rape-reported-in-the-IDF-signifying-rise-in-complaints-561765
2)
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Dramatic-rise-in-number-of-IDF-soldiers-reporting-sexual-assault-572369
3)
https://www.israelhayom.com/2018/12/12/idf-sees-spike-in-sexual-harassment-complaints-in-2018/
4)
Fwd:https://www.1202.org.il/en/union/info/statistics/arcci-statistics
5)
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/.premium.MAGAZINE-israeli-choreographer-takes-on-routine-sexual-harassment-in-idf-1.6717980
6)
Fwd:https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/IDF-to-offer-day-after-pills-to-soldiers-570107
7)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-to-provide-morning-after-pills-in-effort-to-decrease-abortions/
8)
Fwd:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16146146/
9)
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-shhh-don-t-tell-evangelical-supporters-of-israel-about-the-country-s-abortion-laws-1.7274968
