Anti-Secular Group Funding Soldiers Who Refuse Orders Receives Tax Benefits
Translated & summarized from Shakuf by baba
An Israeli anti-secular organization, Hotam, is fundraising for soldiers who refused orders due to a female paramedic's presence, while receiving tax benefits. MK Naama Lazimi has asked authorities to investigate if this activity violates the conditions for its tax-exempt status.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hotam, an anti-secular group, raises funds for soldiers refusing orders.
- The organization benefits from state-granted tax exemptions.
- MK Naama Lazimi is seeking an investigation into Hotam's activities.
- Soldiers refused orders citing religious objections to a female paramedic.
- Hotam promotes an ideology against women's integration in the military.
An anti-secular organization named "Hotam" is raising funds to compensate soldiers punished for refusing orders during operational missions, while simultaneously benefiting from tax exemptions granted by the state. MK Naama Lazimi of the "Democrats" party has appealed to the Registrar of Associations to investigate the matter. Hotam's CEO, Aviad Gada, declined to comment.
In late August, soldiers from the Givati Brigade were confined to barracks after refusing to participate in an operational activity because a female paramedic was present in the Namer armored personnel carrier designated for the mission. A campaign by "Warrior Women for the Sanctity of the Camp," operating under Hotam, portrays these soldiers not as insubordinate but as having bravely stood against the army. The campaign states, "They deserve a prize," with funds intended for "grants and assistance to fighters punished for observing Halakha (Jewish law)."
The campaign is also promoted on Hotam's Twitter account, which labels the soldiers who refused orders as "spiritual heroes" who "observed Halakha" and demands the Defense Minister release them and "punish those who abuse them." The campaign page and Hotam's tweet describe the army's actions as a "progressive coercion agenda," and its commanders as unfit to lead religious soldiers. The paramedic is presented not as a professional on a mission but as a problem the army must solve; if the army fails to satisfy the organization, the soldiers are permitted to refuse.
While the campaign is presented as an initiative of "Warrior Women for the Sanctity of the Camp," it appears to be an organized effort by the anti-secular Hotam organization. The donation page lists Hotam's email address, and the page itself embeds an AI video from "Choosing Family," a Hotam-affiliated group fighting against women's and LGBTQ+ rights, which concludes with the slogan "Either equality or victory."
Hotam enjoys approval under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance, making donations to it tax-deductible. MK Lazimi contacted the Registrar of Associations, the Tax Authority, and the State Comptroller on September 15th, requesting an examination of whether activities encouraging refusal of orders align with the conditions for recognition under Section 46. Hotam's CEO, Rabbi Aviad Gada, also heads "Torat Lechima," an extremist right-wing organization known for its social media activity, which views the integration of women in the military as a violation of "camp sanctity" and operational effectiveness, and as "gender blurring."