Amid heightened tensions with Iran and the closure of Israeli airspace due to missile attacks, Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, one of the most senior rabbis in the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community, is currently in Los Angeles. He left Israel several days before the beginning of the latest military operation as part of a fundraising mission for Torah institutions in the United States. Due to the ongoing security situation, the rabbi is currently unable to return to Israel.
During his stay, Rabbi Hirsch met with David Hager, a businessman and one of the principal supporters of Netzah Yehuda, an organization that promotes the integration of Haredi soldiers into the Israel Defense Forces while preserving their religious lifestyle. Hager is personally involved in various Haredi military initiatives and is considered one of the most influential voices in the internal discourse surrounding solutions to the ultra-Orthodox draft issue.
In the meeting, Hager briefed Rabbi Hirsch on the situation in Israel, highlighting the mounting political and legal pressures to enforce mandatory conscription in the ultra-Orthodox sector. He stressed the need for a new framework that would safeguard Torah study while also responding to the country's security needs and the growing public demand for equality in sharing the national burden.
Among other things, Hager told Rabbi Hirsch: "If you try to take too much, you end up with nothing. Instead of agreeing to draft 4,800 ultra-Orthodox soldiers, a target that is simply unrealistic, it would be better to agree on a more achievable goal: the addition of just 1,500 combat soldiers. That's a feasible number, and it carries real military and public significance."
Hager said he had formulated a basic framework that could potentially serve as a compromise: most yeshiva students would continue their Torah studies undisturbed, while those who do not study full-time and instead pursue higher education or join the workforce would be integrated into special frameworks that maintain Haredi identity and values. "This is not a spiritual compromise, it's a public responsibility," he said.
According to Hager, Rabbi Hirsch listened attentively, expressed appreciation for Hager's work, and emphasized the imperative of holding steadfast to the world of Torah, especially in times of political and security upheaval.
