Charedim: We won't be drafted because "we aren't interested"

Ynet yesterday published an op-ed by a Charedi guy about what is going to be with the draft and Charedim. The gist of the article was, it's not going to happen because "we aren't interested". Not only that, but he asks that the Hilonim help the Charedim with education jobs, etc.

Why was this article written? What did the author hope to accomplish? There are almost 1000 comments on the article most of them from angry hilonim. Irrespective of the underlying issues, this article fanned the already high flames of anger for the Charedi world to new heights. It is the height of arrogance to say I am not going to serve in the army because I don't want to and you just have to deal with it.

The comments mostly mention 2 ideas:
1. Taking away all monetary support for yeshivas, kollels, etc.
2. Taking away the right to vote for anyone who doesn't serve in the army or do some kind of civil service

With this being the mood of the people, it is going to be very hard to come to any compromise. I truly believe that the average person has had it and if the government comes up with the equivalent of Tal Law 2, there will be riots in the streets.

Toldos Aharon Rebbe: You can be מחלל שבת to destroy a non-kosher phone

The Toldos Aharon Rebbe appointed a committee in charge of the Ruchniyos of the Chasidus and one of the the things he said was that if they find a non-kosher phone on Shabbos they can be מחלל שבת to destroy it. He also said that the destroyers would not have to pay for the destroyed phone.

I can understand the feeling that non-kosher phones are a bad thing and the desire to get rid of them from his chasidim, but how can he allow chillul shabbos to do that? What good is it to be a kannoi if you are violating halacha?

The Chazon Ish once commented on the Kannoim in Yerushalayim that they were pre-matan torah Jews, meaning that their actions were not guided by torah but by emotion. This is a very bad thing which leads people to do terrible aveiros and to be matir chillul shabbos.

Source: האדמור מתוא"י: "נפצו טלפונים לא כשרים גם בשבת"

The richest Rabbis in Israel

I find it hard to believe that the Gerrer Rebbe is worth 350 million shekel and the Belzer Rebbe 180 million. How did they get so rich? Where does the money come from?