The following statements were made by IDF Major-General Orna Barvibai, chief of the military’s manpower branch, in her address today, Tuesday, November 22, 2011, to the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee.
“Women have the right to sing from every podium and at every ceremony as a policy of equality and permitting them to express themselves. More than this – we say that an officer is in charge and maintains the authority to use his judgment in every case for he sends soldiers to the battlefield and we can also expect that he will run his unit with a measure of intelligence and on the one hand he can permit women to sing and on the other hand, he can exhibit sensitivity when and where necessary.
“This is an issue as a result of a soldier who was ousted from officers’ school and I am pleased to see that the High Court is also not comfortable addressing this, leaving it to the IDF as an internal matter.”
She added that the IDF represents a cross-section of the people, and therefore, the military must accommodate these people as well, and their different life styles.
On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz commented on remarks released by Rabbi Elyakim Levanon Shlita, in which the rav stated that there can be no room for compromise regarding kol isha, which is prohibited by Halacha, and if left with no other alternative, he will have to instruct his talmidim not to serve in the IDF. The IDF commander expressed his concerns with the prominent rav’s remarks.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
lets make adeal you express yourself by singing and i have the right to express myself by walking out.now thats equality
1. Note whether any other army considers women singing to be critical to national defense.
2. Ask whether they really do want Orthodox Jews in the army at all, and if yes, only limited to lower ranks in undesirable units (similar to the “Colored” regiments in the American army in the 19th and early 20th centuries).
General Barbivai is partially correct. The army must work is a unit and not disrepect any of the soldiers. Wherever possible, the really frum soldiers should be allowed to decline attendance where women will be singing. However, the women should not be treated a second class citizens. They have offered to risk their lives for the medinah so that all yidden, including the chareidim may live without fear of attack. They are entitled to sing although the really frum bochurim shouldn’t be punished if they insist on not listening.
If the army feels it’s so important to let women sin(g) because of equality, then the least they can do is let soldiers have the option to leave that area if they feel that is going against their religion in the name of sensitivity and religious rights/freedom.
Do they even listen to themselves? You have a right to sing just like I have a right to walk out.
>>> “Women have the right to sing from every podium and at every ceremony as a policy of equality and permitting them to express themselves…”
…and religious soldiers should have the right to walk out when they do start singing!
End of Story!
“Women have the right to sing from every podium and at every ceremony as a policy of equality and permitting them to express themselves.”
well men should have a right to occupy the hallway outside the room where the prutza is singing as a policy of permitting them to express themselves
To the comment made by Gadolhadorah if such an abomination is permitted to take place then instead of protecting yidden ר”ל they will be putting שונה ישראל at risk because in א”י if we dont do רצון השם then השם ישמור