6 Adar, 5781 February 18, '21 Parshas Zochor /Terumah
B"H
(thank G-d), recently, two Israeli girls being assisted by volunteers
with Chomosaich have received notice that they are to receive their
religious exemptions from military service - Ester A. bas Nilli, a yesomah (orphan), and Talya bas Chana. Ester just received formal notification by letter from the Israeli Army immediately after her draft date, this Monday, Feb.15.
The
fact that both girls needed lawyers to solve problems that (even by
Army standards) should not have been an issue altogether speaks volumes
about Army draft policy, as dictated by the antireligious Army
Establishment: it's not that the Army pursues girls who encounter
technical problems. It's that girls encounter significant problems
because the Army wants to pursue easy targets.
Another
girl, Loren bas Miriam, is a recent Ba'alas Teshuva (someone who
rediscovered their religious roots). She embarked on her spiritual
commitment subsequent to her commencement of the enlistment process. In
the eyes of some, that ostensibly raises suspicion. However, she
stands willing to endure military prison to avoid being drafted. That is
one powerful argument dispelling naysayers.
Loren
has still not received any religious exemption notice. The Army set
her a draft date for March 18, which happens to be shortly before her
wedding, BE"H.
(Our comment: Apparently, as
far as the Army Draft Office is concerned, freedom of religion is a one
way street: once secular, always secular - no way out. Religious
freedom isn't free in Israel, at least not if you're a Ba'alas Teshuva
not yet ensconced in the correct voting bloc.)
Question:
What avenue is there for someone to rediscover their religious Heritage
- stolen by the dominant, established secularism of the Israeli WASPs
- if they happen to have started the enlistment process?
Yes,
some will argue that the Army must ferret out fakers. Firstly, even
according to the religious Zionism to which the government pretends to
pay homage, the Israeli government has no right to draft any girl into
the military, religious or not.
Secondly, who is to determine religiosity, the antireligious Army Establishment? Secular and secularist draft officers?
Thirdly,
by what right does the Israeli government have to argue against fakery
when the entire female draft is based on one massive fraud after
another, including the myth of the need for women, and the true goals of
the female draft having more to do with immorality than any national
security need?
°°°
IDF Draft Office Advances Their Escalation Against Fully Religious Girls
The
ongoing IDF macro-escalation of drafting religious girls can be
illustrated "in micro" by reviewing several current cases of refusenik
girls - who have required legal counsel - currently being helped by Chomosaich volunteers, for example.
°
Anna bas Miriam, a religious Ukrainian girl, apparently lacking
anything that would be expected to flag Draft Office interest, has been
subjected to Army harassment for many months on end. Evidently, there is
no rationale for this, other than the fact than she's an easy target
hailing from one of the many immigrant backgrounds favored by IDF human
traffickers. Her case seems to be one of a "random error," however, one
that's been quite unrandomly allowed to evade "correction" for many
months. During this period, apparently underemployed draft officers are
very intentionally trying to harass her with phonecalls. She's B"H not
buckling. Given the Draft Office track- record on recent Chomosaich
cases, hers seems to be "par for the course:"
° Ester bas Nilli,
a very religious 18-year-old sefardi orphan, until her exemption
notification this week, was being harassed over the signature of the
Dayan (religious court judge) on her Religiosity certification being
below the line. This - despite her being orphaned from her mother, and
being desperately needed to assist her Alman father with nine younger
unmarried siblings remaining at home.
°
Another religious girl, Talya bas Chana, until she was notified of her
religious exemption over a week ago, had been literally persecuted by
the Draft Office, despite - or perhaps by virtue of - her being from a
broken family, in acute financial straights, and homeless.
°
Shuly bas R., 19, has also been cruelly persecuted, facing potential
arrest, over her refusal to submit to the draft. The health issues with
which she's recently been dealing, render it clear that the Army has no
[legitimate, legal] use for her, and is pursuing her for reasons
unrelated to national security.
°
Now add to these the cases of other religious girls - under the care of
other organizations - being persecuted by the IDF - including the two
French girls reported on recently, e.g. see https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2021/02/biting-hand-that-sacrifices.html.
The Israeli Army Draft Office is clearly escalating their ongoing
antireligious crusade against religious girls. And it's happening in
great measure because we don't protest sufficiently. And that's
something over which we have immense control. We ought to use the
ability to speak out while we have it. G-d willing, in that merit, we
won't lose that ability. ~~~
“Nothing is to be more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion.” — John Adams, 1812
°
Some of these girls are being or had been blackmailed into submitting
to a "Rayon Dat," a Religiosity Interview/ Interrogation. For these
girls, that's not only prohibited by Torah Law, and practically
hazardous; it's also inherently self-contradictory. For girls who
follow the historically mainstream Rabbinic position that a Rayon Dat is
prohibited, the Army forcing them into one (a) constitutes
antireligious coercion, and (b) is also legally incoherent - if not
downright Orwellian --demanding these girls "demonstrate" their
religious values by contravening them.
°
The merit of these heroic souls, and those who assist them, is truly
incalculable - "Le'fum tza'arah agrah" [Avos]. And for that reason it's
all the more incumbent on us to raise awareness - and funds - to stand
by those noshim tzidkaniyos, in whose merit so many Jews are very
possibly being saved from missos meshunos and untold tzoros.
