IDF Turns Back on Reservist Torchlighter Rabbi Zarbiv
Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, a reservist and state rabbinical judge, was chosen as one of the honorary torchlighters for the April 21 ceremony on Mount Herzl. Zarbiv has previously drawn criticism for statements supporting the destruction of Gaza and for advocating the establishment of Israeli settlements there.
The IDF has distanced itself from a reservist selected to participate in Israel’s Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony, following controversy over his past statements.
Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, a reservist and state rabbinical judge, was chosen as one of the honorary torchlighters for the April 21 ceremony on Mount Herzl. Zarbiv has previously drawn criticism for statements supporting the destruction of Gaza and for advocating the establishment of Israeli settlements there.
The selection was made by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who oversees planning for the annual event.
Responding to questions, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military was not involved in the decision.
“Rabbi Zarbiv was not selected in coordination with the IDF. He is not an IDF representative at the torch-lighting ceremony,” Defrin said.
He added that the IDF’s official representatives for the ceremony were chosen through an internal process led by the military’s Personnel Directorate.
According to the IDF, those representatives will include Col. “Gimmel,” head of the Israeli Air Force’s Iran department, and Maj. Nurit Rokah, who was wounded during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on the Urim base and again during subsequent fighting in Gaza.
The annual torch-lighting ceremony marks the transition from Memorial Day to Independence Day and is considered one of Israel’s central state events.