Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, head of Alon Moreh Yeshiva, addressed the controversial incident in the Givati Brigade on Tuesday morning during a conversation with his students. The case involves hesder yeshiva soldiers, who combine religious study with military service, who were sentenced to 10 days in military prison after refusing to enter an armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic.
Rabbi Levanon criticized the military's decision, defended the soldiers' actions, and called for the punishment to be canceled. He also addressed the broader issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) enlistment and what message this incident sends to those considering military service.
According to Rabbi Levanon, the soldiers "acted exactly according to the joint service regulations." He noted that while the brigade's military rabbi did grant commanders exceptional permission to proceed with the mission including female paramedics, he emphasized there was a communication breakdown and the soldiers were unaware of the brigade rabbi's directive to proceed.
The rabbi further claimed that soldiers received inaccurate information attributed to the rabbi from their company commander just a week and a half before the incident occurred.
"Punishment! For what and why?" Rabbi Levanon questioned. "The commanders did not inform the soldiers that this was an exceptional directive from the rabbi. Therefore, the soldiers were correct to refuse to board the armored vehicle. The punishment reveals the IDF's weakness in its inability to admit its mistake!"
"This is the message the IDF sends to haredim"
Rabbi Levanon also addressed the military's efforts to recruit haredi soldiers, arguing that the punishment in this case could send a problematic message to potential haredi recruits.
"The IDF is fighting to recruit haredim. This is the message the IDF sends to haredim: we will force you to enter armored vehicles with female paramedics, and if not, you'll go to jail!" the rabbi wrote.
"Indeed, 'real encouragement for haredim to enlist,'" he added sarcastically.
Rabbi Levanon called on defense establishment leaders to cancel the punishment and take responsibility for the conduct that led to the incident.
"Defense establishment leaders must wake up and remove this disgrace from the entire system, admit there was a command communication error, and immediately cancel the decision to imprison the soldiers," he urged.
