Satirical video blasts IDF induction centers
Video published by Orthodox group shows religious girl coming in to have her 'blood religion levels' measured, with technician bombarding her with personal questions, rummaging through her cell phone in search of incriminating photos; organization claims video based on actual questions girls were asked at induction centers, reflects attempts by IDF to exert pressure on girls to conscript.
The critical video, which was produced by the Chotam organization (dedicated to "restoring Judaism to the center of public agenda"—ed), will be disseminated on social media, and portrays members of staff charged with determining the validity of the girls' exemption requests as encroaching on privacy rights to catch the applicants in a lie.
In the video, a religious girl is seen entering a hospital's "Heart and mind testing institute," where she undergoes an imaginary and humiliating inspection to discover her "blood religion levels."
The campaign is an attempt to highlight the unreliability of the questioners’ conclusions regarding the exemption requests, while exposing the interrogation-style tactics adopted which infringe on the applicants' privacy.
The organization appealed to the court on behalf of five girls whose statements on levels of religious observation were not approved by the army and whose status was consequently left undertermined.
In the petition, Chotam claimed that the IDF disputing the fact the girls stated to be religious was illegal. Since the petition was submitted, four of the five received the exemptions they sought, but petitioners chose to move forward on the judicial process to receive a ruling on the issue in principle.
The video shows a girl lying on a bed in the examination room holding a device that is supposed to detect her "religion levels." A technician sits next to her, bombarding her with a flurry of personal questions on her lifestyle while looking at a monitor that beeps when problematic findings are discovered.
Chotam said the "interrogation" depicted in the video was based on actual induction office cases. The young religious girl was asked, for instance, whether she had a boyfriend and weather she observed negiah (the prohibition against touching members of the opposite sex that are not family members).
When she answers in the affirmative twice, the interviewer blurts out with derision and distrust, "So you've been going out for a year but haven't done anything yet."
"I see your sister is in a serious relationship with Amir," the technician continues. "I see they've been photographed hugging and that your sister is wearing pants."
"My sister is less religious," the applicant responds in an effort to defend herself.
"Yes, obviously," the technician sarcastically replies.
Later in the video, the applicant is asked whether she has ever come into contact with men before and whether she recites blessings after going to the bathroom. She is later asked to hand over her cell phone.
When she hesitates, the technician asks whether she has anything to hide.
'Invading the girls' privacy'
Chotam Director Amital Bareli said that, "The video illustrates clearly the conduct that oversteps authority and disregards the damage done to girls."
"In contravention of the law, which only requires a girl to provide a statement on keeping kosher and Shabbat, induction centers have taken on the mantle of 'chastity squads,' while invading the privacy of high school-aged girls and harming them," he added.
Bareli further maintained that hundreds of girls have undergone "difficult conversations and interrogations in a hostile, belligerent and humiliating atmosphere", that they were hit with "embarrassing questions that pierce their right to privacy and personal lives."
Private investigators were sent to spy on them, the Chotam director alleged, adding that his group provides legal assistance on the matter.
The chief victims of this practice, Bareli claimed, were girls from the periphery whose strong religious identities justified military exemptions, even if they are not strict observers of each and every mitzvah (commandment). They were being singled out, he argued, due to the fact that they do not necessarily observe every commandment.
Bareli added that if the interrogations' goal was to prevent secular girls from affirming they observed Shabbat and kashrut (dietry laws), thus abusing the draft exemption provided on religious grounds, he would have remained silent.It was his impression, however, that they marked a trend of the army attempting to conscript young woman whose religiosity was not in question. "Attempts are being made to convince girls and exert pressure on them to forego volunteering for national service," Bareli claimed.
The IDF's has not yet issued a response to the allegations.
