Women in the IDF
Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Rabbis urge girls not to interview with the IDF
Group accuses IDF of inviting religious girls to interviews with sole intent of undermining their integrity in leading religious lifestyles, in bid to reduce service exemptions; army denies claims, calls 'another attempt to harm the IDF.'
Prominent rabbis affiliated with the national religious camp are urging religious women to ignore invitations sent by the IDF for private interviews, claiming that the army attempts to convince them to enlist despite their religious lifestyle and being exempt from military service.
The rabbis also say that during the meetings, interviewers attempt to undermine the integrity of those claiming to lead a religious life by posing complicated questions about Judaism in a bid to reduce the number of exemptions.
According to the rabbis, the IDF is conducting a “successful system” that could result in the cancellation of exemptions for women and that they are therefore obligated to avoid cooperating with them by attending the meeting.
Photo: Yoav Friedman
The organization spearheading the campaign says that complaints from the parents and teachers of the female students which it has received illustrate that the IDF has significantly widened the scale of these ‘investigations’ on girls.
In the past, such interviews were only conducted when there was a bona fide cause for suspicion into the individual’s lifestyle. For example, suspicion would be raised when women claimed to be religious but studied in secular schools or, for example, uploaded pictures on social media indicating a more secular way of life.
Today however, the group says women are also called in despite being enrolled in religious study institutions, with no reason justifying any doubt about their integrity.
The group is also accusing the IDF of conducting the interviews with the explicit aim of proving that the women are lying. The IDF has no authority to cast doubt on their declarations, the group argues, after they have been officially approved and signed by the regional rabbinical courts.
The organization insists that if there is any reasonable grounds for suspecting that information has been deliberately falsified, the matter has to be dealt with through the appropriate bodies.
Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
In addition, the rabbis opposed to the interviews say that even after discovering that the women are telling the truth, the army still tries to persuade them to enlist into units, despite having be granted exemptions, that are more appropriately suited to cater for their religious requirements.
During the interview, the women are presented with figures showing that the number of religious girls drafting into such units is on the rise, the group says.
Despite the allegations, the IDF issued a statement refuting the claims by the group. “This is another attempt by the organization to harm the IDF. Every attempt by the organization to file false claims on the process of drafting religious women is serious and deserving of condemnation,” the statement read.
“Candidates for defense service who studied in a religious state or Haredi education system or who lead religious lives are not required to come to the drafting office for interviews,” it sought to clarify. “In exceptional cases in which there is a reasonable chance that the affidavit is not credible, they are invited to have an interview to avoid negative exploitation of the law which permits exemptions from service.”
