A number of religious fighters in the 188th Brigade of the Armored Corps informed their commanders that they refuse to go to the tank commanders course in protest against the intention to include women in the course since the beginning of March. According to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) correspondent Tzachi Dabush, the soldiers claim that the service with the women will compromise their sensitivities.
It was also reported that despite the fact that these soldiers were found suitable for the course and offered by their commanders to go out to be tank commanders, they gave up due to fear of harming their level of religiosity.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said in response: “The training is being built in a manner suited to the border defense mission and will not include the practice of a mixed team. The training of the combat soldiers is conducted parallel to the regular armored training and without any effect on them.”
Last month, it was reported here that a cadet in the officers’ training course at Bahad 1 had been dismissed from the course after refusing to carry out a task with a female cadet According to Corporal Roy Sharon, the task of the cadet was to prepare a lesson plan and to do so he had to converse with the female cadet.
The IDF Spokesperson stated that “the cadet did not act as expected from a future officer, after he did not carry out a task assigned to him and did not examine possible solutions, and that this is a second mission that he did not get along with. In addition, in the impeachment committee, the dismissed cadet admitted that he had made a mistake. ”
These events come in the wake of a storm that has been raging in recent weeks following statements made by several religious Zionist rabbonim on the subject of women’s service in the IDF, when the climax came after Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita called on PM Netanyahu to dismiss IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
It needs to be noted If even the Mizrahi object on religious principles, people who have been idealistic soldiers since the beginning of the State of Israel the IDF must take note. The IDf is not a volunteer army but drafts from the population. As such they can NOT force people against their clear Religous sensitivities – as openly espoused by rabbis! Especially a JEWISH Army! Not everyone hasto be religous in the IDF – at the SAME TIME religous soldiers do not HAVETO compromise their lifestyles so that the IDF can become the equivalent of a Co-Ed Dorm where many go loose with their restraints and values! it is Not a Secret on Youtube there are videos of IDF female soldiers seemingly as if they are men;s magazine models! Most of the IDF are upstanding heroes but we must listen when Rabbi’s – even Mizrahi – complain!