IDF Chief of Staff Under Fire for 'Political' Policies Toward Religious Soldiers
A public dispute has erupted over the punishment of religious soldiers from the Givati Brigade, with accusations that the Israeli military's senior command is pursuing a broader policy aimed at clashing with the religious public. Michael Foa, chairman of the "Bocharim BaMishpacha" organization, argues that the IDF should cease attempting to 're-educate' its soldiers and focus instead on achieving victory.
The controversy intensified following a public exchange between Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich and the IDF Spokesperson regarding the disciplinary actions. Smotrich claimed that while Givati commanders knew the soldiers involved were good and initially sought a lenient resolution, a harsher punishment was demanded from higher up. When directly asked if the order came from Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Smotrich stated, "Unfortunately, yes."
The IDF Spokesperson vehemently denied this, calling Smotrich's claim a "complete lie" and asserting that the Chief of Staff did not intervene in or order harsher punishments. However, the spokesperson also confirmed that the disciplinary decisions "have the full backing of the Chief of Staff," indicating his support for the outcome regardless of the specific directive process.
Foa suggests this confrontation is not merely a professional military decision but potentially a politically motivated move to create conflict with the religious community, especially with elections approaching. He draws parallels to a previous crisis over integrating women into the Armored Corps, where the Chief of Staff met with religious Zionist rabbis to address concerns about soldiers' ability to serve according to their beliefs. Despite assurances, the IDF has continued to advance policies like training female paramedics for combat roles, which Foa contends intentionally creates friction with religious combat soldiers.
Foa traces this policy to the tenure of former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who increasingly emphasized equality, influenced by progressive organizations. He argues that current Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi is continuing this approach forcefully, which he believes is inappropriate for the military's role. Instead of re-educating society or altering soldiers' worldviews, the IDF's sole purpose, Foa contends, should be to win wars. He calls for an investigation into commanders who created the unnecessary conflict, adjustments to training to ensure sufficient male soldiers for combat roles, and a shift in the IDF's command philosophy away from social re-engineering towards its primary mission.
