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Shas rabbi ordered haredi IDF commander to resign from military - report

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A KAN News report said a haredi commander in an elite IDF unit left the military after senior Shas rabbi Avraham Salim ordered him to resign.
  • Salim reportedly said the army was at war with Torah scholars and warned that the commander’s family could face social harm.
  • Political figures condemned the episode amid Israel’s intensifying dispute over haredi military service.

A senior Shas rabbi reportedly ordered a haredi commander in an elite IDF unit to leave the military, telling him that the army was fighting “the people of the Torah.”

leave the IDF because it is at war with the people of the Torah

— Rabbi Avraham SalimThe Shas rabbi reportedly gave this instruction to the haredi commander.

According to a KAN News report, Rabbi Avraham Salim also warned the commander that his family’s social standing could suffer because of his military role. He reportedly said reserve service would be acceptable, but advised him not to take part in activities that tied him to the military.

Several senior rabbis had supported the commander’s enlistment after the October 7 massacre, the report said. As the haredi draft crisis intensified, however, those religious leaders withdrew their backing. Salim eventually ordered the commander to leave the IDF.

This must change. Soon.

— Naama LazimiThe Democrats lawmaker criticized the reported conduct and use of public funding.

The episode drew condemnation from political figures. Democrats MK Naama Lazimi accused the rabbi and the commander of helping avoid mandatory service and weaken the army. She also criticized their use of public funding.

the haredi parties have been acting for too long to weaken and harm the IDF.

— Yoaz HendelHendel condemned the role of haredi parties in the military-service dispute.

Yoaz Hendel of the Zionist Home-The Reservists party said haredi parties had acted for too long to weaken the IDF. “There is no justification for cooperating with non-Zionist parties that undermine the foundation of Israel's existence,” he said.

There is no justification for cooperating with non-Zionist parties that undermine the foundation of Israel's existence.

— Yoaz HendelHe argued against political cooperation with parties he said undermine the army.
About this summary

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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