Chareidi soldiers, all immigrants, were informed that they will partake in a day of fun with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott at a water park that has mixed swimming and water activities. Their request not to attend was rejected as the soldiers were told their commander insists on their attendance.
Hundreds of soldiers who immigrated to Israel and joined the IDF were given a day of fun to thank them. The decision was made to host the event in a water park near Netanya and they were told the IDF chief was also going to attend. While most of the 400 immigrant soldiers were pleased, the approximately 40 chareidi soldiers were not and they immediately began efforts to be excused from the event which clearly poses halachic problems for them.
The chareidi soldiers report their commanders told them “When the IDF Chief of Staff gives you a gift, everyone must attend”. One soldier tried explaining it is simply prohibited according to halacha, asking to be excused, however his plea was not heard. The soldier asked his rav, who told him he may not attend, adding he would do his best to use his influence to have him excused. The rav turned to the head of the Knesset Education Committee MK (Shas) Yaakov Margi for assistance. Margi’s office turned to the office of IDF Chief Eizenkott but has yet to receive a response.
The IDF spokesman responding to the report states that any request from religious soldiers to be released from the activity for religious reasons will be honored.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Where are all those hollering when chareidim protest joining this corrupt army?
Still hollering, of course.
In the MO/RZ faith, Israeli obligations supersede, lihavdil, Jewish ones. So how dare these soldiers not accept a gift of shmad from the army of shmad when their idol, the State of shmad, decreed this?
I think it’s a tremendous chutzpah to talk about “the State” this way.
Let’s remember that there are frum parties in the Knesset, that advocate for rights of the shomerei torah umitzvos.
There has been a lot of apikorsus imposed on the frum which is totally unacceptable and MUST be dealt with.
However, Let’s also remember the horrible stories we’ve heard of the terror tunnels Hamas were digging that they were planning to use, G-D forbid, to infiltrate towns in the Negev to massacre people last Fall.
Though it’s clearly Yad H’shem that we found out about it, it was also because of the hishtadlus of the army and the government that exposed these tunnels and eradicated them.
We all look forward to a time when Eretz Yisroel will be run by frum people who are guided by Torah. However, showing disdain for the entire government/State shows a complete lack of hakaras hatov.
Oh, and by the way, in the MO “faith” as you call it, Israeli obligations DO NOT supersede Jewish ones.
Corrupt army #1?
Army of shmad #2?
Read the article:
“The IDF spokesman responding to the report states that any request from religious soldiers to be released from the activity for religious reasons will be honored.”
End of story.
#4 When will you get your head out of the sand and start reading the truth about this corrupt anti-Torah shmad army?
If you are a religious Jew you would know that the IDF spokesman has no chezkas kashrus, non-mevushal wine he touches is forbidden for religious Jews, and anything he says cannot be trusted.