Five Religious IDF Soldiers Released After Refusing to Serve with Female Medic

Five religious soldiers from the Givati Brigade's Rotem Battalion were released from military prison on Wednesday, concluding a ten-day detention. They were among a total of 16 religious soldiers disciplined following an incident during operational activity in the Gaza Strip. The soldiers, identified as Hesder Yeshiva students, refused to board an armored personnel carrier because a female paramedic was present, citing religious reasons and instructions from their rabbis.

This refusal led to the cancellation of the planned operation. Eleven other soldiers involved received five-day detentions and were released last Friday. The five soldiers deemed leaders of the refusal were sentenced to ten days, with the military emphasizing the refusal pertained to boarding the vehicle, not combat itself.

The incident sparked significant public debate, drawing criticism from rabbis and ministers who argued the military failed to respect the religious soldiers' way of life and halachic rights. Security officials, however, stressed that refusing orders during operational activity is a grave offense.

Upon their release, Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Witzan, rabbi of Psagot and father of a fallen soldier, encouraged the soldiers, calling them pioneers who would help future religious soldiers maintain their faith during military service. In response to the controversy, the IDF decided to replace the female paramedic in the Rotem Battalion with a male paramedic.