Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, one of the founders of the acclaimed Bnei David IDF Prepatory Yeshiva in Yishuv Eli, is under attack again. Rabbi Levinstein dared to speak out against mixed gender IDF units, and stated females belong in Sheirut Leumi, not the IDF. Rav Levinstein spoke out strongly against the new policies and the ongoing effort to integrate women into units that have been exclusively for men.

This elicited the ire of many, including the liberal stream of the dati leumi community, non-religious IDF preparatory academies, and women’s rights activists. Levinstein, a former high-ranking reserve duty officer, came under attack last summer when he dared to speak out against toeiva in the IDF. He was banned from military bases, where he often visits to give words of chizuk and shiurei Torah.

After his latest remarks, 28 heads of ‘mechinot’ yeshivot signed a letter against Rabbi Levinstein. Among those who signed the letter are 24 mechinot which are not “torani”. The torani mechinot include Elisha for men, Tzahali and Lapidot for females, Yonatan, which is for males and females, located on Kibbutz Alumim.

They decry Levinstein’s words, his condemnation of female combatants in the IDF. They reject his words and his hashkafa, insisting he is incorrect and has embarrassed and harmed the image of the women soldiers and the IDF.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)