Chief Rabbi Demands: “Revoke Disciplinary Proceedings Against Givati Soldiers”
Israel’s Chief Rabbi, HaRav Kalman Ber, sent a sharply worded letter Wednesday to Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over the decision to put Givati soldiers on trial following the incident in which they refused to enter an APC with a female paramedic.
In his letter, the Chief Rabbi called for the decision to be reversed, arguing that officials must consider not only the formal aspects of the case but also its broader consequences.
“We have a principle known as the ‘fifth section of the Shulchan Aruch’—matters that do not appear in the rulebook, but that common sense requires,” he wrote. “When considering an issue that has significant public repercussions, in my humble opinion, the potential consequences of such a decision must also be taken into account.”
Rav Bar sharply criticized the manner in which some of the IDF’s codes of conduct were established. He said some of those codes were formulated by people who were not military professionals but rather “academics and intellectuals,” while the Torah also sets clear rules governing the conduct of a Jewish army.
“The fundamental principle is, ‘Your camp shall be holy,’” he wrote. “What has become of the rights of the religious soldier when certain practices conflict with his way of life?”
The Chief Rabbi noted that since the establishment of the IDF, accommodations have been made for Torah-observant soldiers regarding kashrus and Shabbos, and questioned why, in his view, the same consideration is not being extended when it comes to mixed-gender service.
“Why, when it comes to mixed-gender service, does a religious, Torah-observant soldier have no right to a say, when matters of ‘kedushas hamachaneh’ are fundamental to his very way of life?” he asked. “I appeal to you to change the directives in this area so that they accommodate the way of life of the religious soldier.”
Rav Ber then sharpened his criticism further. “How unfortunate it is that those who absorbed their culture from a foreign culture and are distant from Toras Yisrael are the ones who established the codes according to which Israel’s soldiers are expected to carry out their mission,” he wrote.
“I regret that I must protest what has been done. An action such as putting soldiers on trial when their sole concern is preserving kedushas hamachaneh could bring disaster upon the need to integrate everyone into this campaign.”
The Chief Rabbi concluded his letter with a direct appeal to the Chief of Staff and Defense Minister to reverse the decision.
“I write these words with a heavy heart and out of a sense of responsibility for Am Yisrael and the unity of the nation. I implore you in the strongest possible terms to change the decision and keep these words before you,” he concluded.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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