A request from dati leumi rabbonim affiliated with mechinot yeshivot led to the cancelation of women vocalists at a ceremony. In response to a Knesset query, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that complying with the request was a case of mistaken judgment by organizers of the event.
The daily Haaretz last week wrote that in a ceremony held in honor of talmidim from a mechina yeshiva, the Defense Ministry canceled the participation of the IDF choir made up of males and females, placing it with a male only vocal performance. In addition, all participating speakers representing the religious mechinot and the non-religious prepatory programs were males.
The ceremony was to award certificates of excellence to graduates of the mechina programs. Hundreds of graduates participated in the event representing 51 mechinot around the country.
MK (Meretz) Michal Rozin submitted a query in Knesset stating that the reason she was given for the decision was to avoid offending the religious sensitivities of many participants. Rozen wants to know if officials believe the decision was correct and if an official regulation is in place regarding similar events in the future.
Defense Minister Ya’alon stated “Indeed a mistake was made by the organizers by accommodating the request from heads of mechinot yeshivot. When I was made aware of the matter I viewed the decision erroneous and in response the Defense Ministry will establish official policy on the matter”.
Ya’alon added “Times have changed for the better regarding the increase in religious soldiers serving and the opening of combat positions to women soldiers. These changes are the result of positive trends…At times, such situations arise demanding instruction to stay on the correct path. The IDF and Defense Ministry are national bodies and we are working so no one will feel excluded”.
Rozen stated excluding women in any way in the Defense Ministry is unacceptable, pointing out the nation’s draft law applies to women as it does men.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
He says “we are working so no one will feel excluded”.
So when women sing and religious soldiers are forced (by their religious beliefs) to exclude themselves from the ceremony, it will be “only” religious soldiers who are excluded, which seems to be fine with them.
In all fairness, the State of Israel was founded with the goal of freeing the Jewish people from the yoke of Torah – so it makes perfect sense to look for ways to go against Torah in a public way and send a message to the misguided religious zionists that they should cut back all this old fashioned halacha and get with the program.
Zionists bend over backwards to accomodate Muslim “sensitivities” like allowing Ramadan observance, but Zionists think Jewish matters and halacha are backwards, typical Zionism.
this is why frum Jews shouldn’t serve in the IDF-there is no accommodation for Halacha!