MK Simon Davidson Criticizes Haredi Youth for Draft Refusal During Torah Study Law Debate

During a Knesset debate on the Basic Law: Torah Study on Monday evening, MK Simon Davidson (Yahad) sharply criticized a group of young Haredi men in the visitors' gallery for refusing to enlist in the IDF. Interrupting his planned speech, Davidson addressed the youths directly, comparing their behavior to "monkeys in a zoo" and accusing them of watching like spectators while others serve in the army. He expressed frustration over the exemption of yeshiva students from military service, contrasting their leisure with the sacrifices of soldiers and reservists who fight and lose comrades.

Davidson highlighted the heavy toll on reservists and their families, including disrupted businesses and sleepless nights worrying about loved ones in combat zones like Lebanon. He shared a personal story about a friend whose son serving in Lebanon suffered partial facial paralysis from a panic attack triggered by a mistaken late-night call. Davidson also criticized the proposed draft law framework, warning it would likely increase draft evasion among the Haredi community once military police enforcement is removed.

Despite his harsh words, Davidson concluded on a conciliatory note, apologizing for his outburst and urging the young men to join the army. He emphasized that military service would not diminish their religious identity but rather strengthen their citizenship and responsibility to the state, their families, and fellow Israelis.