Dozens of rabbonim from the dati leumi community have penned a letter sent to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott and the Deputy Chief of Staff expressing their protest over the ousting of Rabbi Tzvi Kustiner from the IDF Rabbinate.

Rav Kustiner, who is Rosh Yeshivat Hesder Mitzpei Ramon, was thrown out of the reserves, where he has been an instructor for the IDF Rabbinate for a quarter of a century. He was ousted for daring to speak out against women serving as combatants in the military.

The letter sent on Thursday, 28 Adar, was signed by prominent rabbonim, including Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Jerusalem HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Dov Lior Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo HaKohen Aviner Shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Yehoshua Shapira Shlita.

The rabbonim emphasize they view serving in the IDF as a privilege, and the fact they send their best talmidim to serve, talmidim who are highly motivated soldiers, and they are compelled to maintain the ‘tahara’ of these talmidim and the IDF, which means a total separation from women.

They warn the ongoing experiment will not work but it will harm the military, referring to the decision to integrate female combatants into certain units, despite the objections of the rabbonim who have supported the IDF throughout the years. They explain IDF service is not for females, and this is the only way it will remain a holy Jewish army.

Rav Kustiner recent stated a “Jewish army that maintains tahara is one without females”, instructing rabbonim to stop sending talmidim to the military until the integration program implemented by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott is halted.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)