Bereaved Sister’s Pro-Army Recruitment Sign Torn Down Again Outside Her Home in West Bank Settlement

Lili Gatz Horovitz, a lawyer and sister of Avner Gatz who was killed in the Six-Day War, has repeatedly faced the removal of a sign she placed outside her home in Mitzpe Jericho. The sign urges the ultra-Orthodox community to enlist in the Israeli army, calling for equal sharing of the national service burden. Nearly a year ago, a similar incident was reported, and recently security cameras captured a man dressed in ultra-Orthodox attire aggressively tearing down the sign from her gate.

Gatz Horovitz, who leads the Takana Forum and advocates for equal military conscription, expressed her distress over the repeated vandalism. She emphasized the urgency of equal enlistment, especially following the recent deaths of two soldiers from the same battalion and brigade where her brother served. She stated, "I will not rest or be silent until there is true equality in conscription. Our children and grandchildren continue to fight, and there is no reason for entire segments of society to avoid sharing this burden."

The sign, which has been removed multiple times, includes quotes from Jewish sources supporting the idea that even those studying Torah must defend the country. It reads, "Even those who study Torah must protect the state. You must enlist in the army; we are in a war of obligation." It also cites traditional texts emphasizing the combined role of scholar and warrior.

Avner Gatz fell in battle for Jerusalem on June 6, 1967, at age 21. Their father, Rabbi Meir Yehuda Gatz, was a prominent figure serving as the rabbi of the Western Wall and head of the Beit El Kabbalist Yeshiva. The repeated destruction of the sign highlights ongoing tensions within Israeli society over military service obligations for the ultra-Orthodox community.