The issue of the Tal Commission recommendations and the yeshiva student draft law for the Israel Defense Forces, was overshadowed while the media in Israel and the world turn their eyes to diplomatic headlines, but if the Barak government survives into the autumn session, the controversial draft bill will be at the top of the political agenda as it goes into the Law Committee.
To recap - the contending sides:
- In one corner of the ring we have those who contend that everyone should serve equally in the army, irrespective of credo ;
- In the opposite corner we have those who contend that the study of Torah is a holy calling above military service.
This dynamic is already being played out in the Knesset as the law goes from its first reading into committee.
In the middle, there are actually two ring masters:
- The bridging body - the Tal Commission and its draft Knesset law - who, for socio-economic and civic reasons, believe that the change needs to be gradual and that they have a first-stage option;
- The IDF, which would like to reduce the general load of military service by spreading it gradually, but is actually moving towards professionalization and does not have the time or money to take on more special needs groups on a large scale.
The pros and cons of the draft were presented in a previous series on /NR/exeres/8D9257DD-819D-49EA-BDD8-6EAB35D6CB81- this was the way the parties of the 14th Knesset would have voted on a universal draft law.
The situation in the 15th Knesset differed not only because of the party line-up, but because the Tal Commission recommendations provided for only those who wished to leave Yeshiva or Kollel at 23 being eligible for military service, or other forms of national service - which is neither wide-reaching nor equivalent service.
This is the English version of the Knesset website http://www.knesset.gov.il/
and these were the 1999 Election results, although there have been changes in the interim http://www.knesset.gov.il/elections/eindex.html
Find Knesset members by parliamentary group and create two-member groups for each faction. What is your faction's stand on this issue and how did you vote on 3rd July 2000? Were you satisfied or dissatisfied and why?
In groups of 6-8:
Draft your own law propsoal in several points on posterboard, taking into account:
* the purpose of your draft law;
* how much you wish to close the gap;
* how long it will take to create these changes and how to stage them;
* how the army is to meet these new servicemen;
* how the haredi community is to be engaged in this change;
* yeshiva students' physical and emotional readiness for the army;
* the best age for army service for Yeshiva students;
* specialised service or non-military options of service.
Present proposals by group, marking in green the similarities between them and in red the differences.
Review:
On what are the similarities based - the goals or the wording?
On what are the differences founded - the goals or the wording?
Are any of the differences reconcilable? Why?
Are any of the differences totally irreconcilable? Why?
How does this compare with the reality of what occurred in Israel?