IDF to Re-Examine Its Draft Policy Concerning Foreign Students With Israeli Citizenship
09.08.2016
A few months ago Bechadrei Chadorim printed a report from Israeli Shortcut association, chaired by Rabbi Ze'ev Zer, explaining that regulations established by IDF for yeshiva students with Israeli citizenship who had “foreign born” “born to migrants” and “foreign resident” status required these yeshiva students to serve in the army if they lived in the country for more than four years. The IDF’s regulations only allowed these individuals to study in Israel for a maximum of four years in the country before they would be inducted. Although they were Israeli citizens, the status of "Torah is his vocation" which allows Israelis to defer their army service, did not apply to them.
The article in Bechadrei Chadorim added that the Israeli Shortcut association had sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense asking it to reconsider the discriminatory regulations, and allow yeshiva students with Israeli citizenship to maintain their legal status in Israel and study in Israeli yeshivas while receiving the deferment available for Israelis who are learning Torah full-time.
In the wake of the publicity, the IDF decided to re-examine the regulations. The Defense Ministry's reply, signed by Lt. Col. Noam Arbelli, the Defense Minister’s Assistant Chief of Staff, was: "Pursuant to your inquiry to the Defense Minister concerning ‘Proposed Regulations to Defer Army Service for Yeshiva Students Who Have the Status of Immigrants, Returning Residents and Children of Migrants’, my reply is as follows; the letter raises serious questions concerning draft procedures and policies for new immigrants and migrants. Your inquiry was referred to the Human Resources Branch to get answers to the issues raised in your letter. When we have specific answers to these issues, we will send a reply."
Rabbi Ze’ev Zer congratulated the alacrity shown by the Defense Minister in sending the inquiry to the Human Resources Branch to provide answers or change the regulations. He said the association has a huge database of complaints from various populations who come to Israel, each for its own reasons, which exhibit an unpleasant picture about how foreigners are treated in the country.
He said, "Unfortunately, while the State of Israel invests enormous resources and money to encourage immigration from abroad, it neglects a huge population living right in the country which has the potential to become immigrants and instead makes life difficult for them through bureaucracy and regulations. Getting the Ministry of Defense to address this matter is just the first of many more big moves we plan to make on behalf of the foreign national population living in Israel."
Following a report in Bechadrei Chadorim
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The article in Bechadrei Chadorim added that the Israeli Shortcut association had sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense asking it to reconsider the discriminatory regulations, and allow yeshiva students with Israeli citizenship to maintain their legal status in Israel and study in Israeli yeshivas while receiving the deferment available for Israelis who are learning Torah full-time.
In the wake of the publicity, the IDF decided to re-examine the regulations. The Defense Ministry's reply, signed by Lt. Col. Noam Arbelli, the Defense Minister’s Assistant Chief of Staff, was: "Pursuant to your inquiry to the Defense Minister concerning ‘Proposed Regulations to Defer Army Service for Yeshiva Students Who Have the Status of Immigrants, Returning Residents and Children of Migrants’, my reply is as follows; the letter raises serious questions concerning draft procedures and policies for new immigrants and migrants. Your inquiry was referred to the Human Resources Branch to get answers to the issues raised in your letter. When we have specific answers to these issues, we will send a reply."
Rabbi Ze’ev Zer congratulated the alacrity shown by the Defense Minister in sending the inquiry to the Human Resources Branch to provide answers or change the regulations. He said the association has a huge database of complaints from various populations who come to Israel, each for its own reasons, which exhibit an unpleasant picture about how foreigners are treated in the country.
He said, "Unfortunately, while the State of Israel invests enormous resources and money to encourage immigration from abroad, it neglects a huge population living right in the country which has the potential to become immigrants and instead makes life difficult for them through bureaucracy and regulations. Getting the Ministry of Defense to address this matter is just the first of many more big moves we plan to make on behalf of the foreign national population living in Israel."
Following a report in Bechadrei Chadorim
