Weekly Commentary: Netanyahu wrong that "Those who do not study Torah must
enlist"
Dr. Aaron Lerner 28 May 2026

"Those who do not study Torah must enlist."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the IDF Hasmonean Brigade 28 May 2026

Mr. Netanyahu appears to embrace the approach that Haredis are the "me
generation on steroids".

Prime Minister Netayahu isn't saying that a select group of Torah scholars
be granted a waiver from army service.

Instead, he implies that anyone who engages in Torah study be granted a
waiver from army service.

That's regardless of the quality of his Torah study.

And that is why this is the "me generation on steroids".

There is absolutely no other activity which people can unilaterally choose to
do which automatically and without any qualifications, grants a concession
from society of anything close to the magnitude of a waiver from army
service.

To be clear: there most certainly may be a logic behind granting a waiver
from army service for the top haredi scholars of a generation, though I
personally think that it is important that the top haredi scholars of a
generation have the experience of army service.

But that's a group which is granted a waiver of army service based on their
being selected via some process.

Not self-selected.

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