IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met on Tuesday with rabbis from the religious Zionist yeshiva world. Also present were Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir, Chief Military Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Karim and Personnel Directorate chief Brig. Gen. Shai Tayeb.
Zamir thanked the yeshivot and preparatory academies for encouraging enlistment, especially combat service, and praised their students’ “major contribution” and sacrifice for the IDF over the years, particularly during the war, when they have stood with other groups in the front ranks of what he called the “people’s army.” He said the army still lacks “thousands of fighters” and needs every soldier and soldieress to complete its missions and preserve the war’s gains.
He said a key foundation for integrating many communities into service is enforcing the common-service order, which allows people to serve side by side without one group coming at the expense of another, while protecting the dignity of all servicemembers. He added that he intends to keep strengthening that order and other routine regulations, which require extra care during a long war. Zamir also said expanding women’s roles in key posts and combat positions is of “immense operational importance,” and that new frameworks and open positions will be created in full accordance with the common-service order in routine, emergencies and war, with operational needs and professional standards met “without compromise.”
The rabbis praised Zamir for leading the IDF through a difficult period and said they would continue educating their students toward meaningful military service as needed. They also described the challenges faced by observant soldiers and argued that every religious servicemember should be able to serve according to his faith and values, within the principles of the common-service order. Zamir concluded that Israel has one army, the “people’s army,” which must accommodate all its complexities and enable meaningful service for all parts of society.
