While the Yesh Atid party continues flying the ‘share the burden’ flag, insisting the IDF can and will accommodate chareidi soldiers, some inductees arriving in the Bakum induction base were faced with a different reality – compelled to cut their peyos.

According to the HaMevaser report, “the IDF took advantage of the naiveté of a group of chareidi inductees, compelling them to cut their peyos R”L.”

The inductees were headed to the IDF Navy, the Shachar Yam program. They were told they must have a “military haircut” and while their hair was short, the peyos must go. The soldiers instructed the barber to not to go under the 3mm setting as to avoid chas v’sholom removing their peyos entirely. The barber told them it must be a “military haircut” and they haircut was as close as possible, removing any trace of their peyos!

The soldiers explained after the fact that they were not aware that IDF regulations permits maintaining one’s peyos, and they feared being charged with insubordination – so they had the hair cut as instructed R”L.

For some it was truly a nightmare, and when it came time to go home for a leave they did not wish to leave their base, embarrassed to return home without their peyos, which their ancestors were moser nefesh to maintain during the most difficult of times.

The incident was no less traumatic for some of the parents, those who arrived in the State of Israel during the early years when peyos were routinely cut off to remove any sign of one’s Yiddishkheit, as was routinely done to the Jews from Yemen R”L. Some of those parents admit they could not believe their eyes – adding this sent them back decades to those dark times, the times they prefer to forget.

Askanim add that “if the details in the report are accurate, this should send a shockwave to Jews around the world,” adding that it is clear that the shmad campaign is operating under the guise of ‘sharing the burden’.

Shas MK Rabbi Nissim Ze’ev is not willing to let this pass, and he hopes to compel a Knesset session to address this. He adds that this is an affront to the Basic Law which guarantees every citizen basic rights, including his religious beliefs. Ze’ev adds this was a blatant affront to Halacha, and it must and will be addressed, lamenting the fact that the soldiers had to be embarrassed to return home with the crew cuts that left them without any signs of being frum Jews.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)