Against the background of the expiration on August 1 of the Tal Law, which attempted to manage Haredi recruitment, the Moetzes Gdolei HaTorah (Assembly of Torah Sages), the supreme rabbinical policy-making council of several Haredi organizations in Israel convened Monday night in Bnei Brak at the home of leader of the Lithuanian sector, Rav Steinman, to solidify the policy of military conscription, Maariv reports.
Members of the assembly heard an explicit review of the political negotiations surrounding the issue from MKs Moshe Gafny and Uri Maklev.
In a press release following the meeting, the Assembly announced “The Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah is extremely disturbed and frightened and in immense distress over the wave of incitements sweeping the people of Israel against Haredim and especially against Torah learners on whose merit the world stands.”
“The precious yeshiva boys are learning day and night, and these people are trying to ruin their standing with threats to disturb their learning,” the release concluded.
In a personal message to Prime Minister Netanyahu, the assembly made “a special plea to the heads of the government not to change anything in the rules concerning Torah learners here in the Land of Israel.”
The Rabbis also decided in regard to yeshiva boys whose cases are not yet settled with the military authorities that “The Moatza instructs the Rosh Yeshivas to instruct their students who are called up not to sign any document whatsoever which could commit them in any way to enroll in military service.”