http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157572Soldiers Allege Forced Sabbath Labor in IDF Prison
Soldiers say they were required to violate the Sabbath while in IDF prison.
http://myrightword.blogspot.co.il/2011/09/idf-singing-or-fighting-army.htmlAn observant solider serving in the Nahal Haredi infantry brigade, who was dismissed from an officers' training course for insubordination (*), has appealed to Israel's High Court of Justice over his punishment. The cadet was removed from the course after an incident on Monday, Sept. 5, in which a group of nine soldiers walked out of an official IDF event when female soldiers began singing solo.
During the event, which focused on Operation Cast Lead, the nine religious soldiers chose to walk out during the performance since, according to religious law, men are not allowed to hear women singing...The cadet has since appealed to the High Court of Justice over the IDF's decision to remove him from the training course, calling it unlawful....Chairman of the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva Center, Rabbi Haim Drukman, called the soldier's removal from the training course outrageous and said it constituted an immoral decision. Rabbi Drukman added that the "obligation to listen to women singing appears nowhere in the General Staff command, and listening to women singing cannot testify to the cadet's abilities as an officer and commander in the IDF."...
One of my relatives currently serves in the army. He said, that although the army currently allows the strictly religious not to get a hair cut during the "3 weeks" or not to shave with a razor all year round, Jews that are not strictly religious but would like to keep at least these parts of Judaism are forbidden by army rules.
I have more to add on this subject but not for now.