Haredi Draft Dodgers Subjected to 'Holocaust' Treatment, Ultra-Orthodox Knesset Candidate Claims

Haredi draft dodgers subjected to 'Holocaust' treatment, ultra-Orthodox Knesset candidate claims

"Our situation is close to what it was in the Holocaust," Stark said. "And there's no other way to say it."

Incoming UTJ MK compares yeshiva students' situation to Holocaust era

Elyakim Shtark compares yeshiva students' fears of arrest at airports to restrictions on crossing borders during the Holocaust.

HOLOCAUST COMPARISON SPARKS CONTROVERSY: Incoming UTJ MK Likens Yeshiva Bochurim’s Airport Arrest Fears to Nazi-Era Border Restrictions

Elyakim Shtark, a new United Torah Judaism candidate representing the Belzer chassidus, has triggered a political uproar after comparing the plight of yeshiva bochurim who fear arrest when attempting to leave Israel because of their military draft status to the restrictions imposed on Jews during the Holocaust. Shtark made the controversial remarks Thursday evening while discussing the difficulties confronting young chareidi men who have been classified by military authorities as draft evaders. Among those affected are bochurim seeking to travel abroad for shidduchim but concerned that they could be detained at Ben Gurion Airport because of outstanding military service orders. The prospective Knesset member, who is expected to succeed longtime UTJ representative Yisrael Eichler on the party’s electoral slate, acknowledged that comparisons to the Holocaust are particularly sensitive. Nevertheless, he maintained that the present circumstances reminded him of accounts he had heard from his grandparents about Jews who were unable to cross national borders. At the beginning of his remarks, Shtark addressed Eichler, who has frequently invoked the Holocaust in his own political statements. “I’ve made a commitment not to bring up the Holocaust during my first few years, because you’ve already brought it up enough.” Shtark then proceeded to draw precisely such a comparison, saying that he found it difficult to describe the situation facing chareidi young men in any other terms. “I’m not one to make Holocaust comparisons, but I find myself unable to describe our situation any other way. Our situation is close to what it was during the Holocaust, when people couldn’t cross borders. It reminds me of the stories our grandparents told us,” he said. The comments came against the backdrop of the continuing confrontation over the military draft, with yeshiva bochurim whose service status remains unresolved facing the possibility of detention when traveling through Israeli airports. For those pursuing shidduchim overseas, the restrictions have created additional complications. Bochurim who fear being arrested while departing Israel may be unable to travel to meet prospective marriage partners, leaving families abroad to consider making the journey to Israel instead. Despite the severity of his comparison, Shtark reportedly emphasized that he was not seeking to assign blame for the situation. He called instead for cooperation in addressing the difficulties facing the chareidi community. “The solution will come only if we work together,” he said. The remarks quickly drew sharp criticism from political figures, including Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who framed the controversy as part of the broader dispute between Israelis who serve in the military and those who do not. “It’s either us or the draft dodgers,” Lieberman wrote in response. The Amcha Yisrael party, headed by former IDF officer Ofer Winter, issued an equally forceful condemnation, describing Shtark’s Holocaust comparison as “a disgrace to every Israeli and every Jew.” The party argued that the remarks were particularly serious because Shtark is expected to serve in the Knesset, where he would hold a position of national responsibility. In its response, Amcha Yisrael connected the controversy to the increasingly heated public debate over the chareidi draft and demonstrations opposing enforcement of military service requirements. The party criticized what it described as the failure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior government officials to speak out against extreme statements made during protests over the draft issue. It argued that Shtark’s comments likewise demanded an unequivocal public response. Amcha Yisrael called on the chareidi community to distance itself from Shtark’s comparison and demanded that Netanyahu and his cabinet ministers condemn the remarks immediately. The party also reiterated its opposition to a future coalition in which United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzchok Goldknopf would supply the decisive 61st Knesset vote needed to establish a governing majority. Shtark’s entry into national politics comes amid broader changes within United Torah Judaism, particularly in the representation of the Belz chassidus. His anticipated succession to Eichler marks a significant development in the party’s internal arrangements ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Born in Belgium, Shtark was educated in Belz institutions both in Israel and overseas. He has become known primarily for his work behind the scenes, developing relationships between the chassidus’s leadership, rabbonim, elected officials and government representatives.