Religious Zionist Rabbis Back Soldiers Who Refused Orders Over Female Medic

Senior rabbis from the Religious Zionist movement have publicly supported soldiers from the Rotem Battalion who were disciplined for refusing to board an armored personnel carrier (APC) carrying a female paramedic. In a letter published by the "Torat Ha'aretz HaTova" organization, the rabbis stated that after reviewing the facts, the soldiers "acted appropriately" and called for their immediate release. The rabbis directed their criticism primarily at the command's conduct, asserting that the joint service order, intended to allow observant soldiers to serve according to Jewish tradition, was not properly implemented.

According to the rabbis, assigning female medics or combat soldiers to a battalion of observant soldiers contradicts the order and undermines the trust between soldiers and their commanders. They also cited previous incidents, including a training exercise held on Shabbat, which they claim had already damaged the soldiers' trust in their commander. The rabbis noted that the unit's rabbi was not present during the incident, leading the soldiers to consult their yeshiva dean and act according to his halachic ruling.

The IDF confirmed that a training exercise was held on Shabbat without operational necessity, which negatively impacted the soldiers' way of life. The company commander was summoned for questioning regarding this incident. The rabbis emphasized that the disciplined soldiers had recently fought in Gaza and on the Lebanese border. They urged the military court, the Chief of Staff, and the Defense Minister to thoroughly investigate the affair, enforce the joint service order at all command levels, and release the imprisoned soldiers.

The letter was signed by members of the "Torat Ha'aretz HaTova" presidium and management, including Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi Isser Klonsky, Rabbi David Chai HaCohen, Rabbi Eitan Izman, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, and Rabbi Yosef Artziel.