IDF chief rabbi: No exclusion of women in our ranks

Rabbi Avi Peretz says military rabbis 'stand united at forefront of struggle against discrimination of females'

Yoav Zitun |Published: 01.01.12 , 21:35

Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier General Avi Peretz on Sunday convened all the military rabbis in order to discuss the growing phenomenon of women exclusion from the public sphere.

The chief rabbi emphasized that "there isn’t and there will not be any exclusion of women in the IDF." He also stressed that external lecturers who do not support the IDF's stance regarding the prohibition on the exclusion of women will not be permitted to speak before soldiers.

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"We, who know the importance of respecting women, should make sure this phenomenon does not make it into our ranks," he added.

מפגש הרבנים הצבאיים בבית החייל (צילום: ירון ברנר)

Military rabbis at meeting on Sunday (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Rabbi Peretz noted that "incidents involving the shunning of women should not be attributed to an entire sector of society," noting that military rabbis "stand united at the forefront of the struggle, and as such we must prevent this phenomenon within the army."

The chief military rabbi also stressed that according to the chief of staff's instructions on female soldier singers in the IDF, all official ceremonies have mandatory attendance for all soldiers.

Rabbi Peretz called on the other military rabbis to "act vigorously and show sensitivity in order to bring unity among the troops.

"We must not sit idle," he added, saying rabbis should identify sources of friction among soldiers and commanders, and be there to offer assistance."

Kobi Nachshoni contributed to this report