Prominent Religious Zionist rabbis issued a sharply worded statement on Wednesday against the High Court of Justice, calling for disobedience to rulings they say conflict with Jewish law.
The statement followed what organizers described as an “emergency meeting” at the home of Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, president of the Torat Ha’aretz Hatova organization.
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Prominent Religious Zionist rabbis convene for an 'emergency meeting' at the home of Torat Ha’aretz Hatova President Rabbi Yaakov Ariel
(Photo: Torat Ha’aretz Hatova)
Among the signatories were Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and Rabbi Yaakov Shapira.
The rabbis wrote that “court intervention in matters of security, Jewish law, society and the management of state affairs constitutes an overreach of authority and a violation of the status quo.”
The letter centers on the rabbis’ criticism of what they describe as the judiciary’s systematic overstepping of its authority. They said High Court rulings on security, society and governance are not merely legal matters, but have destructive consequences on the ground and on the battlefield.
“These rulings endanger the lives of soldiers, harm the fabric of public life for Israeli citizens and create an internal confrontation that constitutes a grave national danger,” the rabbis wrote.
They also gave full backing to the independence of the Chief Rabbinate, calling it the supreme halachic authority under law and by public acceptance. They said the judiciary has no authority to intervene in its decisions and that “there is a halachic prohibition on obeying rulings that contradict its instructions.”
On gender integration in combat units, the rabbis said mixed service by male and female soldiers in the Armored Corps is a serious violation of Torah law, “equivalent to prohibitions on Shabbat and kashrut,” and harms soldiers’ operational readiness.
They said the policy would prevent thousands of religious and observant soldiers from across Israeli society from meaningful military service and “bring disaster upon the IDF.”
The statement comes as the military faces debate over the integration of ultra-Orthodox men into the army and women in combat roles.
Last month, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed those issues, saying the military must expand the number of people serving as its missions grow. “All parts of the population must share the burden,” Zamir said. “We will do this not at the expense of one another, but with one another. Women are an inseparable part of the IDF and its operational strength.”
Zamir also said the military would not exclude women. “There will be no exclusion of women in the IDF,” he said. “Their integration is values-based, equal and an operational need. We will continue to enable service for diverse populations without harming others.”