Chareidi Soldier Sent to Military Prison for Refusing Draft

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or-gilboa-idfThis week, a Chabad bochur who was drafted into the IDF and compelled to serve in unsuitable conditions was sent to a military prison despite  assurances by the army that chareidim will not be forced to compromise on their lifestyle.

Or Gilboa, a student of the Chabad Yeshiva Chazon Eliyahu in Tel Aviv, received his “tzav rishon” (preliminary call-up) papers at age 16.5 and began the draft process. At this time, Or was also beginning to become religiously observant and he joined the Chabad community. Six months before he was due to be drafted, he asked for an exemption from military service because he had become a yeshiva student. Yet despite his entreaties and explanations that he was now studying in yeshiva and wished to defer his military service, his request was refused.

Several months ago, Or was forcibly drafted and the army promised him that he would serve in a chareidi brigade. However, after training with a group of older chareidi soldiers, he was sent to a regular, mixed camp with no other chareidim at all.

Despite his requests, the army wouldn’t provide him with mehadrin food either, and he could only eat fruit and vegetables, eventually losing about 15 kilos in weight. This week, Or was transferred to a store management course, where the conditions were even worse for a chareidi yeshiva student.

When Or told his commanding officer that the army had promised to send him to surroundings more appropriate for a yeshiva student and asked why he was transferred to such a course, Or was sent to a military prison.

In response to the report on this carried in the Mevaser chareidi newspaper, an IDF spokesman reported: “During his time in the brigade, the soldier received all of the conditions granted to soldiers of the Netzach Yehuda [chareidi] brigade. Last week, the soldier was sent to a stock management course outside the base. The soldier was told in advance that the course was not of a chareidi nature, and there were also girls on the course. The soldier didn’t express any opposition. When he arrived at the course, the soldier expressed opposition to joining, and for this reason the commander of the Netzach brigade ordered seven days in military prison for refusing orders.”

The rabbis involved in this incident, along with Or’s parents, claim that this is not exactly the case. Right from the beginning, Or didn’t receive Netzach Yehuda conditions and was not posted anywhere suitable for receiving those conditions. He never received mehadrin food, and it was never offered.

Although members of the Rabbinate at the army base tried to get him some basic mehadrin food products, they weren’t successful and his father somehow managed to get him some food. And contrary to the IDF’s spokesman’s statement, even before the course, Or was not in a suitable place and continually complained that he was compelled to stay in the base’s shul the entire day.

{Shmais/Matzav.com Israel}


30 COMMENTS

  1. He lost over 35 pounds because he refused to eat non-mehadrin food?!?!? Chossid shoteh. Even the non-mehadrin food at virtually any IDF base – and especially larger training facilities that are not in far flung outposts – is kosher. Certainly, even someone who is makpid to only eat mehadrin could eat such food b’dieved.

  2. Could you imagine…Chabad the movement that gave Chizuk to the army during hard times risking their lives to give some warmth to tired and overwhelm soldiers. Now falling victim to Zionism!

    These are not Neturei karta protesters this are people that supported them during hard times!

    The time has come to remember the words of the Satmar Rebbe Z’tl “there will be a time that it will be impossible to live as a frum Jew in Eretz Yisroel. 🙁

  3. The time has come to remember the words of the Satmar Rebbe Z’tl “there will be a time that it will be impossible to live as a frum Jew in Eretz Yisroel. 🙁

    I agree 100%.

    it is high-time for all Haredim to move back to Williamsburgh, Kiryas Yoel, Lakewood, New Square, Flatbush, Passaic, and Crown Heights.

    Good riddance to you all.

  4. The law of the land…if you dont like it then leave…E”Y is not run by a Torahdike memshala and won’t be until Bias Mashiach, we need to deal with reality.

  5. He complained that he had to stay in the shul on base. Can we get some more accurate details? Every soldier should be provided with mehadrin food and environment when in the IDF.

  6. “Prisoners and guards clash at Guantanamo Bay as authorities move prisoners, many of whom are on hunger strike, out of communal cellblocks”

    REALY?

  7. I really do not know what will it take for people to see what is going on. Step by step Judaism is under attack at all fronts. I’m worried about the ones that day to day adapt to the new attacks and find a “heter” to deal with them. Soon enough we will forget what was called Judaism. Let us not forget where we started and where they want to take us!

  8. Moshe Levy, you’re conveniently forgetting that Torah Yidden were in E”Y long before the secular tzionim came.. shouldn’t they be the ones who should leave?

  9. #27, Rabbi Goldstein. Afraid you are very right. But, H’ will not abandon us, even though we, the Jewish people, have abandoned Him. The Erev Rav are now leading in Israel but their fall will come sooner than later, as we are in the chevlei Moshiach and we pray, that our salvation will come very soon. B’H, the orthodox community has grown and we must be constantly alert and vigilant. Sorry to say that many in the orthodox community live in a bubble and are so unaware of what is really going on. Their Rabbis need to get it together and start informing and teaching their flocks. With all the information out there, through the internet, why are so many clueless?

  10. those who hate Torah and yaadut should go back to their ancestral countries. maybe poland,russia or marocco takes them back ?

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