A number of religious IDF soldiers, known as “beinishim” (בני ישיבות – bnei yeshivot) have been instructed by commanders to shave after an officer in the adjutancy decided they do not look the way he feels the army should appear. It was explained to some that “Even the IDF Chief Rabbi is clean shaven”, to which a father, Eliyahu Chen responded “this is irrelevant”.
Mr. Chen spoke with Kol Chai Radio on Sunday morning 19 Adar-I explaining he served in the military for 25 years, always with a beard as a member of the dati leumi community. He questions “What motivation will my son have to serve and fight after this. What angers me is they are not doing anything to the chareidi soldiers so why my son and others in the dati leumi tzibur?” Mr. Chen explained he has learned that an officer in the adjutancy feels the bearded soldiers “look like Hamas” and therefore objects to signing off on their beards.
To date, a soldier entering the army declares he is shomer Shabbos and the rabbi of his unit would sign off on the form along with a commander and he was not required to shave.
Since January 2016 the regulation changed, requiring a signature from a colonel in the adjutancy in addition to a unit rabbi and officer. Eliyahu explains the rabbi and officer signed off for his son, who has been serving with a beard, and now, suddenly, he was instructed that upon returning Sunday from Shabbos at home to be clean shaven. He will not however, preferring to go to jail. Eliyahu added he voted for “Bennett” (Bayit Yehudi) in the last elections and it appears this does not help. He feels the chareidi soldiers are not being bothered for military officials fear the wrath of the chareidi parties so they are limiting their new policy to dati leumi soldiers.
Eliyahu calls on all IDF Rabbinate officers and soldiers serving in the unit to please step down from their positions, including IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Rafi Peretz, for clearly they are not doing their jobs.
Kol Chai added that only two requests to keep a beard among 36 were approved by the adjutancy officer. The overwhelming number of these requests were for religious reasons.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
WHERE is our ZIONFLAG? How about Rabbi of Berlin, Brooklyn MOM, and Gadolhador???? Aren’t they as outraged by this. NAH.
1) If the IDF can’t distinguish between a religious Jew and an Arab we are in serious trouble!
2) To our DL brothers – Wake up and smell the coffee! The IDF is not your friend!
maybe cut off nose because hamas has nose
I THINK IT IS HORRIBLE THAT THE IDF DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN CHAREIDI AND OTHER RELIGIOUS SOLDIERS. ACTUALLY, THIS ENTIRE ORDER IS RIDICULOUS. WILL THEY ORDER RELIGIOUS SOLDIERS TO HIDE THEIR TZITZIS UNDER THEIR BELTS TOO?
COME TO THINK OF IT, WHY DO THEY WEAR THOSE BEA0NIES ON
THEIR HEADS??
IDF
What’s exactly on your mind … Do you want them to fight for Israel wholeheartedly or do you want them to change there respect for religion wholeheartedly ?
#1- I cannot speak for those other readers but myself – no, I am not ‘outraged’. Naniach, lets assume, that the hearsay of hearsay is true and that some officer somewhere said what is reported in YWN. Nu, so what. In an organization of any size, let alone the size of the IDF, there is always going to be somebody who says or does something foolish. Not every foolish remark of every anonymous (and possibly non-existent) officer represents the IDF. No doubt, should an officer actually say such a thing and do it even semi-publicly he will be formally reprimanded. In the meantime, the haters of Israel will hug themselves in glee and use this nonsense to justify their hatred.
As to the story itself, the whole thing sounds more than a bit odd. If ‘Eliyahu Chen’ requires the backing of the IDF’s Rabbinate to countermand a prima facie illegal order, why is he publicly demanding that they all resign instead of quietly bringing the matter to their attention and asking them to intervene, as they always do? And what does the anonymous author of the article mean when he writes ‘Eliyahu added he voted for “Bennett” (Bayit Yehudi) in the last elections and it appears this does not help’? Does the author think that in the IDF if you whisper in your officer’s ear that your father voted for a certain political party that your orders will change? The whole piece seems to be politically motivated.
Legufo shel inyan, the issue of beards seems to have arisen and no doubt it will be resolved.
And they want the chareidim to join the army?!
here we go again, nothing worse than jews against jews. and it is always the Chilonim against the Chareidim. You want them in the army, let them look and act like proper Jews.
Hello Define,
Busy weekend & finally hit the screen.
TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS, all my chevarim in tzhal are bearded & plan to keep it that way. Chutzpah to the new edict – it will be ignored!!
Hmmm.
Makes me think the Satmer have a good point.
The “Religious Zionists” are likely not at all bothered by this because their faith is a freak hybrid of both Zionism and, lihavdil, (some of) Judaism.
Since this is what Zionism requires (as per the IDF officers), this is, to them, a religious obligation.
We just read “eila elohecha…”
On one hand, the IDF is actively looking to recruit religious soldiers to the IDF. On the other, they make it impossible for frum soldiers to keep their identity.
My guess is… this anti-religious officer will be side shifted to another pen-pushing post where he can’t allow his prejudices to rule. The more publicity for this the better, it makes the IDF hierachy look not only stupid, but bigoted. Class action suit, anyone??
#6 – you clearly do not live in Israel.
#9 – you must admit, however, that the very point that such an order could be even considered in a Jewish army shows where the hidden standpoint of the IDF is. I truly believe that if the IDF felt they could enforce such ruling w/o backlash they would. It is a secular army and desire to keep it that way as much as possible.