Every young man in Israeli who reaches the age of 18 must serve in the Israeli army or sign up for national service Israeli Army Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday opening up the possibility for a rift within the governing coalition Israeli media reported.
According to the Jerusalem Post Lieberman was referring to a High Court of Justice ruling that annulled the arrangement allowing yeshiva students not to enlist in the army saying that “there is no more class A and class B”.
“The most important parameter that guides us is the same parameter called national strength. On this point many people do not agree and are not acting to achieve that goal which is more important than weaponry or economy” he claimed.
“We have no intention of imprisoning anyone” he said “and if we want to be effective and efficient we have to do it wisely but I can register each of them with a criminal record and I can demand that the state not subsidize any of them. Not a university or a yeshiva that accepts draft-dodgers” he further stated.
“Jews served in both the red army and the British army and we were always loyal to the country in which we lived. I don’t understand why a haredi man cannot serve in the army. If not in the army then national service. The same applies for a Muslim or a Catholic” he added.
