Israel's Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar, appealed to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Israel Katz, requesting the cancellation of the decision to prosecute Givati soldiers who refused to deploy on a mission in Gaza because a female paramedic was assigned to their unit. In his letter, he stated: "Those who nursed their culture from a foreign culture set the codes by which Israeli soldiers carry out their mission. The Torah of Israel also established codes for the conduct of a Jewish army. Why does a religious soldier have no right to speak on the issue of joint service? I appeal to you to change the regulations in this area to suit the religious soldier."