Explain this

After reading Dov Lipman’s article “The misleading (and backfiring) campaign against haredim,” September 6, I am hurt and insulted.

This is a fantastic example of “A red herring.”

I will except the facts and figures in this red herring article as correct . It’s not about the money.

I consider myself a secular Israeli, who served in the IDF as did my son, both daughters and my grandchildren.

I can force myself to swallow and reconcile to the economic burden placed on the state by the demands of the ultra-Orthodox community and also our screwed-up election by political parties pandering to the haredim so as to form a coalition government.

What really pains and aches is – I repeat not the money – but the fact that the haredim have the right to choose whether they serve in the IDF, do national service or do neither.

That is discrimination against the rest of the Jewish population, a definite type of apartheid.

Our young boys give a minimum of three years , our young girls give a minimum of two years of their lives to our country before they can plan their adult life. After that there is reserve duty. So in fact their adult lives start from when they are 21 and older.

Then, when required, they fight to defend the state, absorb casualties and sometimes pay the ultimate price.

The haredi boys and girls can continue their safe adult life at the age of 18 and without having to do reserve duty.

Please, Dov Lipman, explain this discrimination so that we secular Israeli “mugs” can except and understand this one-sided discrimination . ISSY DYKMAN Ganei Tikva