Ynet: The Religious Zionist sector is being rattled by a new storm: Rabbi Eliezer Melamed from Har Bracha, one of the most popular rabbis among religious Zionists, has called on girls to stop doing national service.? The storm started roughly two weeks ago, when Melamed published an article in the religious daily Besheva, declaring that national service harms religious girls because it causes them to delay marriage and may increase their likelihood of remaining unmarried.?

Instead of serving in the army, many religious girls serve two years of national community service after graduating from high school. On Thursday Melamed authored a second article claiming that girls? service is a waste of the nation?s money because their training is lengthy and by the time the state benefits from their labors, they are already being released. Additionally, the rabbi argued that national service aggravates unemployment because the girls take jobs away from salaried workers.National Religious Party Chairman MK Zevulun Orlev severely criticized Melamed?s articles and distanced himself from the rabbi?s standpoint……..