A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Charedim in the IDF

Interesting article in today's Maariv, citing new data from Israel's Defense Ministry showing that "a dramatic 50% rise in the number of Haredi draftees was recorded in comparison to last year." Interestingly, the new charedi soldiers include students "from the Ponivez and Viznitz yeshivas," from where students have in the past rarely gone to the army.

The article states that the Nahal Haredi Battalion now includes several platoons, and the soldiers carry out combat missions in Judea and Samaria. One new charedi soldier, Nati Greenberg from Bnei Brak, told Maariv, "You would be surprised to hear that there are rabbis who encourage us."

Detractors of charedim in particular, and Israelis and Jews generally, have found a negative take on all this. A European reader commented on the Maariv website:

"A legal way to spread their violence and hatred? A license to kill Arabs? No surprises here."
posted on 8/26/2004