Givati Dispute Must Show IDF It Cannot Let Religious Rulings Divert Operations

What began as a dispute over religious conscience became, in Herb Keinon’s view, a test of who commands soldiers during operations. Givati Brigade soldiers serving in Gaza refused to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic, citing halachic concerns about men and women sharing enclosed quarters.

The soldiers were prepared to fight and risk their lives, the commentary says, but not to compromise their religious principles. They first tried to reach the Givati Brigade rabbi and, after receiving no response, consulted rabbis from the hesder yeshivas where they had studied. Those rabbis reportedly told them not to enter the vehicle.

The brigade rabbi later became involved and reportedly ruled that the mission was permissible because it was operationally important and would last only a limited time. The soldiers still refused. The mission was canceled, and 16 soldiers were sentenced to military prison: five received 10-day terms and 11 received five-day terms.

Keinon says the episode points to a broader challenge if more haredi men enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. The soldiers in this case were hesder students rather than haredim, but the question was the same: whose ruling prevails when a soldier’s personal rabbi conflicts with the military rabbinate and commanders?

The commentary argues that the military chain of command must decide, including military rabbis who can weigh halachic concerns against operational needs. Soldiers can consult outside rabbis on personal matters, it says, but an army cannot function with a parallel religious command structure while an operation is underway. At the same time, as the IDF absorbs more religious soldiers and women, it will need to show common sense, sensitivity and flexibility.