Religious Soldiers Punished for Refusing to Patrol Gaza with Female Medic

A group of religious soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade were sentenced to 5 to 10 days of disciplinary arrest for refusing a direct order to patrol the Gaza Strip in an armored personnel carrier (APC) with a female paramedic. The soldiers' refusal stemmed from alleged repeated violations of army directives by their command, including training exercises on Shabbat and the disregard of rules separating men and women in combat units.

According to the newspaper Besheva, the company commander had previously assured the soldiers that holding medical training involving blood draws on Shabbat was officially approved by the brigade's rabbi. However, it later emerged that no such permission had been granted. When the soldiers were again told they had religious permission to travel with the female paramedic before a night patrol, they demanded to speak directly with the rabbi for confirmation. After the battalion leadership denied this request, the soldiers refused to board the APC, leading to the patrol's cancellation and the immediate initiation of disciplinary proceedings against them.

The current directive on joint service between men and women allows religious soldiers to request exemption from patrols, transport, or duties with women if physical contact or violations of "yichud" (seclusion laws) are likely. Deviations require explicit approval from the unit's rabbi. The situation is complicated by the stance of Chief Military Rabbi Eyal Karim, who considers operational activity in Gaza to be an emergency, potentially allowing commanders to bypass the directive without seeking alternatives like separate vehicles.

The incident sparked strong reactions from the Religious Zionist camp and the Hesder Yeshivot Association. Uri Pinsky, the association's executive director, cited a "deep crisis of trust" between the army command and religious recruits, claiming the IDF provoked the soldiers by ignoring their rights. Under public and rabbinical pressure, the division command initiated an investigation into the company commander. Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu of Safed publicly supported the disciplined soldiers, stating their actions defended the values of observant soldiers and the army itself, as IDF victories depend on respecting the faith of its defenders. He argued that placing female paramedics in APCs with men harms combat readiness and modesty.

Former Givati Brigade commander Ofer Winter commented on the incident, stating he would not tolerate refusal of orders and would have court-martialed the soldiers before investigating details, had they disobeyed him.