Minister Dudi Amsalem just filed a petition with the Supreme Court to draft the Arab community in Israel to the IDF.
Amsalem thinks he is standing up for and helping his coalition partners, the Haredi community, by filing this petition, as if he is pointing out a massive hypocrisy. Amsalem says the Israeli Arab community gets benefits just like everyone else in Israel but does not share in the burden of army service. And like the Supreme Court just ordered the Haredi community to be drafted for lack of a law exempting them, the Arab community should be drafted as well. The Arab community does not get automatic exemptions, but the IDF does not send them draft notices.
I am not sure who Amsalem thinks he is hurting or helping. He is a member of the government, and has been for a long time. If the Arabs are not drafted it is because his governments chose not to (for security reasons). So now he wants to force his government to draft them? he could probably have just gone to PM Netanyahu and said if this is what they are doing to the Haredim let's also draft the Arabs. He didnt have to go to the Supreme Court. They are not being drafted not because they refuse to be drafted and go to the army for religious reasons but because the Israeli government chooses to not draft them because the Israeli government thinks as a whole they cant be trusted regarding security, dual loyalties perhaps or whatnot.
And if they are not being drafted for security reasons, Amsalem thinks getting back at the Supreme Court is more important than the security of Israel? He's thinking I am going to show them how hypocritical they are and I am going to put us all at risk in doing so!?
If the government thinks they have ways to draft the Arabs and they can do it without being a security risk, I am all for it. I think the Arabs should be required to do at least National Service if they dont go to the army. I think most Haredim should do at least National Service as well. Again, Amsalem is part of the government - he does not need to go to fight in the Supreme Court to do this, just pass a law. The only reason the Supreme Court got involved is because for years Netanyahu and his various governments have refused, or failed, to pass a law for the draft to make a legal arrangement with the Haredi community. This government is all about personal benefits and games instead of doing the real work.
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