Rabbi Yaakov Medan is one of the roshei yeshiva at Yeshivat Har Etzion, one of the flagship yeshivos of the dati leumi community, located in Gush Etzion. The yeshiva was under the leadership of HaGaon HaRav Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein ZT”L until his petira.

Due to the continued deterioration of the situation in the IDF for religious soldiers, Rabbi Yaakov Medan has joined the ranks of rabbonim in the dati leumi tzibur speaking out. Rav Medan accuses the IDF “Of taking role upon itself that no one assigned it, to reeducate the young”, referring to the Education Corps’ relentless efforts to bring Reform Jewry to the soldiers. He explains his own loyalty to the IDF and how he served in the reserves until age 59, yet today, he cannot remain silent as the IDF integrates women into combat units, making many units unsuited for religious soldiers.

Rav Medan believes IDF Chief Eizenkott is “busy with more important things and simply signs”, explaining it is other senior officers who are responsible for the objectionable policies.

Rav Medan laments the dangers to both males and females in the IDF, and while he makes a point of saying “I am not telling them not to enter service, I am saying we must cry out in a loud voice”.

He adds the understandings reached between leading rabbonim in the dati leumi community and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott “have crumbled and the promises by the IDF Chief to rabbonim have been broken time and time again”. He speaks of how all the progress achieved over the years vis-à-vis the religious community is crumbling to the wayside at present due to the current policies, concluding with “we sat with the IDF Chief who made promises and all of these promises have been broken”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)