Feiglin Seeks Defense Minister Role, Proposes Draft Reform

Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Zehut party and former Knesset member, has declared his intention to seek the position of Defense Minister, presenting a novel draft proposal for yeshiva students. Speaking in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Feiglin, who is running in a technical bloc with Bezalel Smotrich, believes his return to politics offers a unique message to the Haredi public and Torah scholars, addressing contentious issues between them and the state.

Feiglin's draft plan mandates a one-month military training period for all yeshiva students, to be conducted within the yeshiva premises during the month of Av, a period known as Bein HaZmanim. This training would adhere to strict conditions, including no female presence, close spiritual supervision, and strict kashrut. Following this, students would return to their studies in Elul, equipped with weapons and a safe. The proposal also includes establishing community defense squads from yeshiva students in Haredi cities like Elad, Bnei Brak, and Beitar Illit.

Feiglin stated that this model, which he claims has the approval of General Yitzhak Brick, would allow for the mobilization of approximately 1.5 million civilians and enhance national security. He also advocates for a professional, volunteer-based IDF, with those wishing to continue in combat or significant service receiving full pay from day one. Feiglin emphasized the need to reinstate tens of thousands of reservists released in recent years and criticized the current campaign against Haredim as cynical political exploitation.

Regarding yeshiva budgets, Feiglin proposed an economic model inspired by Lakewood, USA, to detach funding from politics. This involves transferring funding from the government budget to a civilian-community mechanism, allowing taxpayers to direct their portion of Arnona (municipal property tax) towards Torah study institutions or gender studies departments at universities. He is confident that most Israelis would choose to support Jewish studies, thereby increasing budgets for Torah scholars without generating political friction.

On Haredi education, Feiglin opposes government coercion, supporting the Haredi stance against mandatory core curriculum studies. Zehut's solution is a voucher system, providing approximately 3,000 shekels per month per student. Parents would use these vouchers at educational institutions of their choice, independent of registration zones or Ministry of Education dictates. The state would only verify basic skills like arithmetic to ensure future earning potential, without interfering in history or literature content.

Feiglin also called for separating religion from politics within the Chief Rabbinate, advocating for direct election of rabbis by communities and the public, rather than through political deals in the Knesset. He concluded by stating that the state belongs to Haredim no less than any other sector.