Most inductees into an army realize the process is accompanied by a military haircut, a buzz job. This is the case in the IDF too but for Tel Aviv resident Omri Dubosc-Cohen, 18, he feels there is no connection with his military service and his hairstyle. He is serious about it, and has taken his case to the Supreme Court.
For Cohen it is about equality, explaining women are not compelled to get a buzz job so there is no reason that male inductees should continue to be the victim of gender discrimination. He feels that one’s hairstyle is a means of self expression and the IDF is simply ignoring the rights of male inductees.
Cohen explained that when he refused to comply with orders to “take a haircut”, he was referred to a mental health officer and told that perhaps he will receive an exemption. He refused, maintaining there is nothing wrong with him and he should not require a special dispensation to avoid a buzz job. He told the media that he is well aware that if he received an exemption, the mental health officer would have labeled him “unstable or problematic”.
Omri explains that a frum soldier may have a beard and longer peyos, women long hair, so why must he have a haircut. He adds that today there are female combatants and they are not compelled to get a short haircut.
Omri was sent to a military prison for his refusal to comply with a direct order, “to get a haircut.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Why should a soldier be ordered to get a buzzcut? If the chareidim were inducted, are they going to be forced to get such a short haircut?
This does not suggest an army with good discipline and morale – and this is before they try to absord thousands of unhappy hareidi conscripts.
He does have a point. If we accomodate the needs of religous soldiers, why not accomodate the needs of secular soldiers whose hairstyle is a means of expressing their “individualism”. Unless, of course, you subscribe to the traditional military view that surpressing that individualism by demanding “uniformity” as in wearing a uniform, having the same style haircut,etc. is essential to getting a soldier to become part of a cohesive unit and accept orders without questioning. This guy sounds like he would make a great lawyer or possibly a great learner if he became a ben torah. Also, there are some well know armies who have given up on the demand for “uniformity” and still managed to perform their missions as well as any other nation’s army.
Chareidim already have a buzzcut!!
Just about every army/military branch in the world has regulations about hair length. It’s part of the dress code and provides a uniformity of appearance. IMO, he’s just being a pichetch and should stop whining about something so trivial. What’s he going to kvetch about next, the green uniforms or the fact that they served him a felafel with techina instead of chumus? (I’ve never seen a chayal with a buzz cut, so chances are they want him to have a shorter haircut than he wishes to have.) BTW, the buzz cut in the picture is probably from our military not theirs.
crazy i agree with aperkuma. its funny, some countries try to mold public concensus like america with elections healthcare and guns and have the mob move in its favor. in israel you hammer everyone through the media and tv and system about “sharing the burden” and you get a army whos going to pay for every yungermans 4 kids?
As someone who was a former commander in the IDF I truly hope that they throw this case out as soon as possible. “individualism” is the last thing you want a soldier to feel in the army, especially in combat units. As commenter #3 pointed out so wisely, the haircut, such as all things the army makes you do, shows the soldier that he is a part of a greater unit. Also, the reason religious soldiers are allowed peyot is because that is a religious right, and as much as this may surprise you the army is not out to infringe on soldiers religious rights.
To commenter #1 there is no halachik problem with the haircuts the army makes you get, if anything it is better than the somewhat longer hair many yeshiva boys have today which could be considered a chatziza when wearing tefillin.
The priginal reason for the buzz cut in many armies, the US included, was to help control lice. Through time, it has become an established custom in many armies.