In March, the Knesset passed a law requiring that more ultra-Orthodox men serve in the Israel Defence Forces. The initiative carried wide support across Israel, where haredi exclusion from the army has long been a point of tension, but many remained skeptical the ultra-Orthodox could be convinced to serve in significant numbers. After all, the haredi community has found ways to resist conscription attempts in the past, even if previous legislation was never as constraining as the new “Sharing the Burden” law.
But according to army figures, 1,972 ultra-Orthodox enlisted during the 2013-2014 conscription round, up from 1,416 in 2012-2013 and 1,327 in 2011-2012. It remains unclear whether expanded ultra-Orthodox army recruitment is being driven by the new law or a realization in the community that the system of state funding for haredim is in the process of significant overhaul. The 2013-2014 statistic also falls far short of the 3,800 ultra-Orthodox recruits required by law. Still, the healthy increase is encouraging,
Haredi inclusion in the army is presenting another benefit: more ultra-Orthodox men are joining the workforce when their service ends. New statistics from Israel’s Ministry of Economy show that in the first half of this year, 2,135 ultra-Orthodox men utilized government-run job-placement programs – three times higher than during the same period last year.
Perhaps these positive signs of integration can be instructive when it comes to another recent skirmish involving the ultra-Orthodox.
An El Al flight from New York to Tel Aviv was delayed recently by haredi men who refused to take their assigned seats next to female passengers (see page 38). The flight eventually got off the ground, but one passenger called the ensuing trip an “11-hour nightmare.” The incident prompted an online petition calling on El Al to “Stop the bullying, intimidation and discrimination against women” on its fights. It had more than 3,500 signatures at press time.
Chicagoan Sharon Shapiro, the woman behind the campaign, has a valid point. It is unquestionably discriminatory for a man – ultra-Orthodox or otherwise – to demand a seat-change based on the sex of his skyward neighbour. Stories of haredi men on El Al flights assuming a sort of frantic belligerence when they realize they’ve been seated next to a woman are not uncommon. That sort of behaviour is off-putting and annoying, and not only to female travellers.
Some have argued the solution is to force ultra-Orthodox men to sit in the seats assigned to them, no trades allowed. Indeed, why should there be different rules for different passengers? If the next haredi man who caused a delay on an El Al flight was promptly handcuffed by security and hauled off for interrogation, the message would get out quickly.
A firm approach to ultra-Orthodox intransigence is succeeding (albeit slowly) when it comes to the army. It could on El Al flights, too. But maybe there’s a compromise that benefits everyone: men-only rows available to haredim (and any other men, for that matter) on El Al flights to and from Israel – at a premium, of course. This just might work. Because the last thing anyone wants during an extended plane ride is an unfriendly traveller in the next seat over. — YONI