Moshe Maya, a senior member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, commented on the High Court of Justice's ruling Tuesday ordering the army to begin drafting hitherto exempted Haredi yeshiva students.
Rabbi Maya told Kol Berama radio station that even those not studying in yeshivas should not enlist in the army.
"The court ruling contradicts Halakha. They force us to abandon our religion. If they come for the yeshiva students, they should not join the army. Even a young man who does not study in a yeshiva should not be mobilized. It's forbidden for those who don't study to go to the army. Those who do will end up violating the Shabbat."
Rabbi Moshe Maya sharply criticized the national religious sector for supporting the conscription of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.
"They are mistaken because if it weren't for yeshiva students, there would be many more fatalities in war. Our role during wartime is to study and study; in such cases, God will strike fear into our enemies," said the rabbi.
