Gantz calls national service a must, not a choice

IDF chief says there is a place in the military for everyone, including the ultra-Orthodox

By Yoel Goldman 22 February 2012, 5:10 pm

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IDF Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz in 2012. (photo credit: Yehoshua Yosef/Flash90)

Israel’s top-ranking general responded Wednesday to the striking down of a law that allowed ultra-Orthodox students to defer military service, saying “everyone must serve” in the country’s army.

“We must all agree that everyone must serve,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz to a crowd of several hundred students. It was his first public reaction to Tuesday’s High Court of Justice ruling that overturned the Tal Law — which provides service deferrals for ultra-Orthodox men who study in yeshivas.

Speaking at a leadership conference in the small northern town of Tel Hai, Gantz told his audience that the military could provide an appropriate environment for Haredi individuals. He added, “Military service is not an option, it is a necessity for the State of Israel.”

“We will make allowances [for Haredim] where possible, and we have no intention of influencing the beliefs or views of those who enlist,” he said.

Gantz had previously spoken out against the Tal Law, joining Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his assertion that all Israelis must equally bear the burden of compulsory national service in either a military or civilian capacity. Barak had previously recommended a cap of 2,000 to 3,000 exemptions for Haredi Torah scholars.

According to Army Radio, the IDF chief told his audience that he did not believe that Israel was facing an immediate military threat. He added, however, that due to tensions in the region, Israelis could soon find themselves in a rapidly worsening situation.

Gantz also said that women should serve in every capacity possible within the military. He warned that the time might come when only a minority of individuals would serve.

In response to the High Court’s ruling, the centrist Kadima party proposed two bills on Wednesday in the Knesset that would make national service, whether military or civilian, compulsory for all citizens. The coalition government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with several Arab MKs, rejected the proposals, which failed to pass.