MK Meir Porush spoke today (Tuesday) in the Knesset plenary, in a heated debate on the bill to end the arrests of Torah students, and presented again the Shkedi Committee's recommendation - "Preserving the core values of the Haredi world - protecting Torah students whose 'Torah is their art' (studying three sederim a day).".
According to him, this bill is consistent with this recommendation, and therefore Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's letter is very puzzling.
In his opening remarks, he referred to the approval of a Basic Law: Torah Study and the Relationship Between Laws: "Yesterday we approved a law here, a Basic Law, which provided a very important declaration, according to which the Knesset, the representatives of the majority of the people, and moreover, an absolute and clear majority of the representatives of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, recognize that Torah study is a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel. Today, we are taking another important step, and perhaps even more important, and turning this declaration into action. With God's help, the Knesset will today finally approve the bill that ends the criminal arrest of Torah students in the Land of Israel.".
Regarding the Chief of Staff's letter and recommendations, Shkedi said: "I saw the publications about the Chief of Staff's letter, and the truth is that the things are very puzzling to me, since the things contradict the military's professional position, a position that Chief of Staff Zamir was among the leaders in formulating.".
""A few months after the terrible disaster on Simchat Torah 5774, in December 2023, to be exact, then-Defense Minister Yoav Galant establishes a committee. Not Netanyahu, not Yisrael Katz, Galant. Not a political committee, but a military-professional committee. At its head he places a retired general, Major General Eliezer Shkedi. Since Galant, a retired general, is the Minister of Defense - a kind of political figure, Major General Shkedi is not willing to set off without the blessing of Generals Halevi and Zamir.".
Thus writes Major General Shkedi: "Two and a half months into the 'Iron Swords' war, in December 2023, the Minister of Defense asked me to lead a team and engage in recruiting Haredim to the IDF. Such a request during a war is very far from being obvious. I decided to comply with his request and do so. It was important to me," writes Major General Shkedi, "that this would be with the knowledge and full support of the Chief of Staff and the Director General of the Ministry of Defense.".
MK Porush notes: "Who was the Chief of Staff then? Major General Herzi Halevi. Who was the Director General of the Ministry of Defense then? Major General, later Major General, Eyal Zamir, the Chief of Staff.".
Major General Shkedi writes in his opening remarks: "We will deal with the issue, out of mutual respect, with understanding and sensitivity, so that the action will be meaningful, purposeful and relevant to every situation - if there is a law, and if there is no law." As stated, "if there is a law, and if there is no law." Like the situation today. He adds and writes a number of other important points, such as: "There is great importance in bringing hearts closer together and preventing a deep internal rift.".
""But before he dives into the full conclusions, he presents the highlights at the start, including the following, and I quote again, word for word," MK Porush continued to detail and quote precisely: "Maintaining the core values of the Haredi world - protecting Torah students whose "Torah is their art" (studying three sederim a day).".
He added: "There was not a single political figure on this committee, it consisted of seven senior officers in the regular and reserve ranks. A general, two lieutenant colonels, three colonels, and a lieutenant colonel. To them we can add someone who later became a general as well, Attorney Itai Ofir - then the defense establishment's attorney general. One of the two lieutenant colonels is Lt. Col. Shai Taib, not someone who can be accused of not knowing the needs of the system.".
""I repeat," he emphasized, "this committee was established after the Simchat Torah disaster, what you call the Seventh of October. It was established on December 23, submitted its recommendations on May 24 to their number. It was established after me, submit after me, and don't try to rewrite history.
""This bill that we will vote on today, which seeks to end the detention of Torah students, is a direct adoption of the recommendation of the Shkedi Committee, an independent military-professional committee. I congratulate the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Boaz Bismuth, who by virtue of his position is attentive to the voices of those coming from the defense establishment, for implementing the Shkedi Committee's recommendation and advancing this bill, which will stop the horrific scenes on the streets of Israel of the detention of Torah students.".
In his speech, he also addressed the High Court judges who are expected to discuss this bill, if petitions are filed - and warned: "I want to turn from here, from the stage of the legislative branch, and warn the judicial branch - be careful and beware of repealing or freezing this law.
""You are playing with fire. Your actions to this day, along with the legal advice to the government, are creating an irreconcilable rift in the people. You have led Israeli society to the brink of the abyss. The public representatives here, the majority of them, have decided to take the matches from you and try to put out the fire. If you also harm this effort, blood will be on your hands.".
""The gun that was pulled out on Highway 1 towards the Haredi protesters, the beatings that the young man from Ashdod received until he bled this week, the criminals who walk around free because the victims of the crime are afraid to contact the law enforcement agencies that are supposed to protect them, the incitement that is rampant on the street against the Haredi public, all of this is on you, and you are pouring more fuel on the fire.".
""I warn you, violating this law is one step too far, a step that you will regret," he warned.
MK Porush also addressed the thousands of police officers - "of whom I know the absolute majority love Torah scholars, and I call upon you. Do not carry out an illegal order that has a black-on-black flag flying above it. Even if the High Court of Justice overturns this law, it does so without authority. It is not the law, the law remains the law, and it is what binds you.".
""I know that at no point did you want to obey the Commissioner's crazy order to hunt down yeshiva students in the streets. Now we are giving you legal backing from here. You are not allowed to arrest Torah students. Anyone who arrests Torah students is both violating Jewish morality and violating the law," he stated.
Porush addressed the opposition members: "At least those who have a Jewish soul beating within them, those who have some conscience, I appeal to your Jewish heart - not everything is politics. There are currently dozens of avrechims and yeshiva students sitting in prison, here in the Land of Israel, for the crime of studying Torah.".
""Deep down, you also know that this is not the right thing. You also understand that it is illogical to declare 90,000 people as criminals and issue them arrest warrants, you also know that the army does not have places to imprison 90,000 people, so what's the point? Does it honor you to be a country with 90,000 criminals? Listen to the voice of reason, vote for this law.".
He thanked MK Yinon Azoulay and defined him as "my partner in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee" and shared that "together we worked to advance this bill in the committee, together we were forced to deal with unimaginable amounts of hatred around the table, hatred towards Torah students and towards the entire Haredi public, and blessed be God, the voice of the Torah, and the voice of reason, triumphed over the hatred.".
