Leading Dati Leumi Rabbanim, who have voiced their fierce opposition to the IDF’s plan to carry out a pilot program to incorporate female soldiers in IDF tank units, sent a strongly worded warning letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about the matter.
The letter, entitled “Harm To Operational Resilience And To The Service Capability Of Our Soldiers,” was written by the Rabbanim of the Torat Ha’aretz HaTova organization.
“We can no longer remain silent,” the Rabbanim wrote. “Turning the Armored Corps into a mixed-gender unit will place our talmidim in an irreconcilable conflict between their emunah and their operational duties.”
“The IDF is not just another army. Its strength and the secret of its victories is the Siyata Dishmaya that accompanies it. The Torah commands us: ‘וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ וְלֹא יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ.’ Preserving kedusha and tznius in the military camp is not a private concern of religious soldiers but a fundamental condition for the entire army’s strength and for Divine assistance in battle.”
“When the army advances toward mixed service forbidden by Yahadus and contrary to security needs, we can no longer remain silent. We cannot stand by while military service violates halacha, mesorah, and the Ruach Yisrael. It also contradicts the IDF’s declared goal of integrating thousands of religious and Chareidi soldiers.”
“This step [mixed tanks] will effectively exclude Shomrei Torah soldiers from contributing to Israel’s security—only because of their lifestyle—weakening the entire combat system and destroying the ‘people’s army.’ Capitulating to foreign social agendas unrelated to the army’s mission of victory harms the security of the state, especially during this period.”
They concluded with a direct appeal to the prime minister: “Halt these steps that divide society and the army! Preserve the IDF as an army that allows all soldiers to serve according to their halachic way of life, to achieve victory, and for the Kavod of Yisrael.”
The Rabbanim concluded the letter with a request for an urgent meeting with the prime minister to prevent the “disaster.”
It should be noted that it is doubtful that Netanyahu has the power to interfere with the IDF’s progressive agenda, which is strongly backed by the Supreme Court and the Military Advocate General’s Office—despite ample evidence that female soldiers negatively affect the operational capabilities of combat units and are at far higher risk for injuries than men, both physically and emotionally.
Liberal and feminist agendas have infiltrated the IDF for decades, including the establishment of a special unit, the Yahalom unit (Adviser to the Chief of Staff on Gender Affairs), to ensure that feminist policies are upheld.
Years ago, a group of wives of Dati Leumi soldiers established an organization called Soldiers’ Wives For The Kedushah Of The Machaneh and have repeatedly warned about the dangers of the influence of the Yahalom unit and various organizations with progressive and radical feminist agendas. The interference of these entities makes it impossible for religious soldiers to serve in the IDF without compromising their religious rights.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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16 Responses
I don’t get it. If feminists are so gung-ho to put female soldiers in tanks, why not women-only tanks?
At the same time that the IDF is fighting so hard to get chareidim to join the army, the army itself is becoming more and more a place for promoted prostitution.
The chilonim, while trying to get the chareidim to join the IDF, give them every reason not to.
At this point, Charedim would rather feel comfortable in the US Marine Corps than in the IDF… We still have dignity and respect our values in our army here in the USA.
Let all these Daat Leumi rabbis declare all soldiers of their schools walk off their posts. Let the feminist go fight.
Hallalu ovdei A”Z vaHallalu ovdei A”Z
As if Netanyahu has a say in anything these days. The Court overlords control the place with an iron fist whatever they say is the rule of the land. Hopefully some Arabs will finally do some constructive terrorism and blow that building up
@GarBen – that is exactly what is being planned – individual tanks will be all-male or all-female – something necessary due to the inherent lack of privacy in a tank. Until now, “mainline” tank divisions were all male, though there were some pilot tank units that were all female – and in fact, one of these all-female units took initiative and fought well on 7 October, saving many lives in the process.
What it sounds like may be happening now is that tank units will be “integrated”, with female tanks serving alongside male tanks. This may be something you, I, and many of the commentators here oppose, but the army is desperate for combat soldiers – and so are more willing to allow female soldiers into roles that would be better filled by males.
an Israeli Yid
Josh: the IDF has a strong and well earned reputation since 1948 as being a brothel.
anIsraeliGoy: It is prohibited for women to be in an army, in the first place.
“but the army is desperate for combat soldiers – and so are more willing to allow female soldiers into roles that would be better filled by males.”
This is baloney. All this women in combat roles business is deliberate and ideological, and the result of an intensive campaign by Leftist/Progressive organizations, who won a long series of hyper-activist Supreme Court rulings going back to the early 90s and getting steadily worse. Very many male recruits are still sent to non-combat jobs, and MOST jobs in ANY army are NECESSARILY non-combat. Google “tooth-to-tail ratio” to find out more. By [again] hurting the RZ community, the IDF is [again] alienating the community that consistently produces the MOST DEDICATED and idealistic [male] soldiers. Most of them will continue to go like sheep to the [spiritual] slaughter and dance Mah Yafis for the Chiloni Poritz, because of their misguided belief in Zionism. Then they wonder why the Chareidim don’t want to be like them.
A simple solution for a yichud situation would be to keep the tank door unlocked.
Also, I heard that in order to protect bnos Yisroel, a new charedi unit is being formed that will take over these positions. Come to think about it – a tank is an ideal position for someone who want to simply sit and learn.
Maybe this is the answer to the Shidduch crisis.
ujm and Josh – It goes back even before ’48. Many Frum bochurim were swept up in the various Mandate era ‘Jewish’ militias [Etzel, Lechi, Haganah, Palmach, etc.] and were lost to Yiddishkeit. They expect us to repeat the same mistake today.
For those who are familiar with the intricacies of the RZ world, the list of Rabbonim is very interesting. [These aren’t from the more ‘Chareidi oriented’ side of the RZ spectrum.] This shows how bad the problem actually is.
To Always Ask dumb Questions:
your comments always lack sense. I usually refrain from criticizing, but this one is just too ridiculous to resist.
“why not leave the tank unlocked?” Honestly, are you serious??? First of all no army would ever do that during actual combat! someone could climb in! (duhh) Second of all the heter of leaving the door unlocked only applies if someone is actually likely to walk in which would not be the case with a tank. Third of all, even if you do manage to find some other Halachic loophole, it is clearly considered a Pritzus according to Torah to have men and women squished together like that………
Please, have a little common sense