Representatives of the Brothers in Arms protest movement recently held discussions with Rabbi Zvi Friedman from the radical Jerusalem Wing.
Members of this group frequently organize protests against the conscription of yeshiva students into the military.
During the meeting, one attendee characterized the ongoing war as an existential threat to the Jewish people, akin to the War of Independence.
In response, Rabbi Friedman made a striking statement: “I have 5 daughters, 3 sons, about 30 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. If you asked me whether I'd prefer they were killed by Arabs or became secular, I would choose the former. Secularization is worse than death. Serving in a secular army is more detrimental to us than disregarding Shabbat and dietary laws. It's preferable to consume pork than to assimilate into a secular society."
Friedman condemned secularism as "the gravest intellectual disability and offense" and posed a question to the attendees: "Consider India and Pakistan's conflict. Those who served in the Pakistani army became fervent Muslims. Would you want your children to enlist in such a military?"
