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Jewish News 24 · Sep 1, 2026

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Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli, has issued a strongly worded statement warning that the Israel Defense Forces has effectively decided to “eliminate” the position of the IDF chief rabbi, amid a growing controversy over the treatment of religious soldiers. Levinstein’s comments come after 16 soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade were sent to military detention for refusing to participate in an operational mission in Gaza after learning that a female paramedic would be traveling with them in a Namer armored personnel carrier. In his statement, Levinstein accused the military of forcing religious soldiers to violate their religious obligations under the guise of operational necessity. “Under the pretext of operational necessity, the IDF is forcing religious soldiers to commit halachic violations and enter a Namer with female paramedics,” Levinstein wrote.

Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli, has issued a strongly worded statement warning that the Israel Defense Forces has effectively decided to “eliminate” the position of the IDF chief rabbi, amid a growing controversy over the treatment of religious soldiers. Levinstein’s comments come after 16 soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade were sent to military detention for refusing to participate in an operational mission in Gaza after learning that a female paramedic would be traveling with them in a Namer armored personnel carrier. In his statement, Levinstein accused the military of forcing religious soldiers to violate their religious obligations under the guise of operational necessity. “Under the pretext of operational necessity, the IDF is forcing religious soldiers to commit halachic violations and enter a Namer with female paramedics,” Levinstein wrote.

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