INN: Feiglin: Lapid’s ‘Contribution’ was a Loss to Army

In his usual blunt style, Feiglin argued that some soldiers detract from Israel’s security – and named Yair Lapid, the head of Yesh Atid, as one of them.

“Tell me please, who contributed more to Israel’s security – Yair Lapid or Yisrael Eichler?” he asked in a post to his Facebook page. MK Eichler, who is hareidi, did not serve in the military.

“I don’t mean to start a discussion on the importance of Torah learning – which I definitely believe in – but let’s say Eichler learned Chinese all day. Who contributed more to defense – him or Lapid?” he continued.

“Of course it was Eichler,” he argued, explaining, “When Eichler reached age 18, he didn’t bother anyone, there was no need to deal with him for three years in exchange for zero productive contribution to Israel’s defense. Eichler didn’t steal resources at the expense of security.

“So Eichler contributed more than Lapid,” Feiglin concluded.

Lapid served in the army as a military correspondent for the IDF’s Bamahaneh magazine. He is a vocal proponent of imposing criminal sanctions on hareidi men who do not enlist in the IDF.

Most soldiers currently serving in the army take more in terms of state resources than they contribute in terms of defense, Feiglin argued. The solution, he said, is a professional, volunteer army.

“All this stupidity of ‘equal burden of service’ means increasing the hidden unemployment in the army, increasing the national debt, and worst of all – weakening our defense,” he argued.

“We need a professional volunteer army – not political populism,” he concluded.