Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter sharply criticized the escalating political rhetoric surrounding the drafting of Chareidim into the IDF, accusing politicians of exploiting the deeply contentious issue for political gain while failing to produce meaningful results.
Winter directed his criticism particularly at the debate taking place among parties opposed to the current government, arguing that politicians are competing to make increasingly sweeping promises about how many Chareidim they would bring into the military.
“Almost all the politicians have been arguing in recent days. One says he will draft all the Chareidim, one says he will draft 99% of the Chareidim, one says 70%, and on the other side they say that not a single Chareidi will enlist,” Winter said in a video he released.
Winter then challenged politicians and senior figures who have dealt with the Chareidi draft issue over the past two decades to explain what they have actually accomplished.
“All those who were in politics over the past 20 years and those who were politicians in uniform over the past decade – how many Chareidim did you bring into the IDF during all the years that you are arguing over who will bring in more? What did you do, other than trying to gain political capital on the back of the people of Israel and bringing zero results and zero solutions?”
Winter argued that successfully bringing Chareidim into the military cannot be accomplished through political slogans or public confrontations. Instead, he said, any meaningful progress will require sustained effort and the development of trust with the Chareidi community itself.
“Drafting Chareidim and integrating them into the IDF will not be accomplished through populism, but through hard work and building trust. Through working with the Chareidi public itself.”
Winter concluded his message with a blunt demand that politicians stop using the issue as a vehicle for political posturing.
“So come on, enough with all this false populism,” Winter said.
{Matzav.com}
