As we all know, the issue of draft deferments for yeshiva students is roiling Israel and has the potential of further dividing the country.
The rabbinate, under government supervision, should institute a proficiency set of exams for yeshiva students seeking deferments. A limited number of the top students would receive deferments for a specified number of years while all others would be ineligible for deferments. This sort of “weeding out” would probably satisfy most secular Israelis. At the same time, there could be no more reasonable defense for the current practice of offering deferments en masse to unqualified students.
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