They Call Us Draft Dodgers — But We’re the Ones Holding the Nation Up

As critics rage over the massive Charedi protests in Jerusalem, accusing Bnei Torah of shirking responsibility, one truth stands unshaken: the Torah world isn’t the problem — it’s the reason Klal Yisrael still stands.

Social media has erupted with angry voices condemning the hundreds of thousands of Charedim who filled the streets of Jerusalem to protest the arrests of yeshiva bochurim. Many accused them of selfishness, ingratitude, or cowardice — of “dodging the draft” while others fight and die in battle.

But this narrative is not only false — it’s a dangerous distortion of what truly sustains Am Yisrael.

The protest was not about “avoiding service.” It was about defending the very soul of the nation. The government and courts of the State of Israel have now crossed a line: declaring Torah learning itself a crime. Bochurim were dragged from their homes in the middle of the night and thrown into military prisons — not for breaking laws, but for fulfilling the commandment that has preserved our people for 3,000 years: learning Hashem’s Torah.

This is not a political issue. It is a spiritual one.

As Chazal teach:
“אִם לֹא בְּרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שָׂמְתִּי.”
“If not for My covenant of Torah day and night, I would not have established the laws of heaven and earth.” (Yirmiyahu 33:25)

Without Torah, there is no protection. Without Torah, there is no Jewish nation.

A Double Standard Exposed

If this were truly about “equality,” then where is the outrage over the tens of thousands of secular draft dodgers who also never serve? Year after year, thousands of men claim fake psychological exemptions, leave the country, or simply ignore their summons — yet no police break down their doors, no politicians demand they be jailed, and no journalists call them “parasites.”

But one yeshiva student who refuses to abandon his Gemara? Suddenly, he’s treated as a criminal.

Let’s be honest: this is not about fairness — it’s about hatred of the Torah world.

We Cry Out Differently

Critics also claim that Charedim have been silent throughout the war. That’s simply untrue. The Charedi world doesn’t hold “solidarity rallies” for cameras; we hold tefillah gatherings for Heaven. Every single day since October 7th, hundreds of thousands of Bnei Torah have said Tehillim after every tefillah, crying for the wounded, the captives, and every Jew in danger.

We don’t post it on social media — we storm the heavens.

The Real Burden

The Charedi community is not running from responsibility — we are carrying it differently. While soldiers fight on the battlefield, lomdei Torah fight in the spiritual one. The Jewish nation cannot survive without either — but to claim that Torah learners “do nothing” is to deny the foundation of our existence.

Our ancestors fought to preserve the Torah for generations, even under persecution and death. Today, that same Torah is under attack — not from our enemies, but from within.

Our Message to the Critics

You can arrest bochurim, you can mock, you can threaten to “cut the funds.” But you cannot erase the truth: the Torah is what protects this nation.

We are not your enemies. We are your brothers. And every daf learned in the beis midrash, every tefillah whispered in the early morning hours, every kollel and every yeshiva — they are what hold back destruction and bring blessing to this land.

Those who fight against Torah think they’re saving the State.
In truth, they’re tearing out its soul.