IDF Enlists Son as Armored Corps Fighter Despite Parents' Refusal to Consent
An only son of divorced parents enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces Armored Corps despite his parents' refusal to sign the required consent form allowing him to serve as a combat soldier. The case was revealed on Thursday during the "Gueta and Asnaheim" program on Kan 11 News. The soldier's mother, who had requested recognition of her son as a lone soldier to bypass the need for parental consent, is now demanding that the Chief of Staff review the decision that permitted her son to serve in a combat role.
The mother attended her son's swearing-in ceremony believing he would serve in a non-combat position but discovered he had been undergoing combat training for weeks without her knowledge. She recounted that her son repeatedly asked her to sign the consent form before and after enlistment, but she refused, stating, "I would never sign. He is my only son, and his father also refused to sign. We believe he should not be on the front lines."
After about six months of service, the son declared he had severed ties with his parents and sought legal assistance to be recognized as a lone soldier, which allowed him to bypass their consent and continue serving as a combat soldier. The mother said she threatened legal action to overturn the decision but was met with her son's ultimatum to leave home and cut contact, which he followed through on. She has not seen him for two months since he moved into a residence provided by the Lone Soldier Association.
The mother expressed deep pain over their estrangement and the fear she lives with, saying, "I lost my son the moment he bypassed me. I am not angry at him and understand how much he wanted to be a fighter, but I cannot agree to it. I am a mother of an only son."
Through her attorney, Uria David, the mother has formally requested the Chief of Staff's office to reexamine the decisions regarding her son's status, including his recognition as a lone soldier, his change of service track, and his placement in the Armored Corps. The letter alleges that these decisions were based on incomplete or inaccurate information and that the mother was never asked for her perspective before the status was granted. It also requests a reassessment of the soldier's medical condition, citing previously unexamined documents about a hand disability and a bleeding disorder.
The mother maintains she was involved in her son's life throughout and opposed his combat service, supported by documentation of communications and visits. The case highlights tensions between parental authority and individual soldier rights within the IDF framework.
