The IDF Cultural War against traditional Judaism Intensifies

[edu]

• Air Force promotes gay 'marriage'
  IAF's Facebook page features gay couple and single-parent mom. Leftists using military to re-educate public.
  for details see: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/225734
• MainAll NewsDefense/SecurityInside the IDF's mixed-gender bathrooms
  
  Inside the IDF's mixed-gender bathrooms
  IDF consolidates bathrooms in bases countrywide. Officers, soldiers furious about privacy violations caused by new trend.
  for details see: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/226683
• IDF soldiers forced to visit church
  Dozens of Engineering Corps soldiers forced to visit church during 'educational seminar' organized by IDF.
  see: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/226667

I also view the so-called Gaza Disengagement and subsequent expulsion of Jews elsewhere as primarily part of the Left's use of the IDF to wage a culture war against Judaism, knowing that the biggest victims of the expulsions would be religious-zionist Jews.

[Shlomo]

It's a complete disgrace. Netanyahu has only hurt Israel and the Jewish people - sometimes throwing them out of their homes because they are Jewish.

Netanyahu has said that LGBTs are integral part of Israeli society and praised the gay pride ‘parade of unity’ offering his full support.

He couldn't be further from Judaism.

[edu]

Liberman tells Rabbi Levenstein to quit as Eli academy head
 
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday gave an ultimatum to Rabbi Yigal Levenstein, the head of the Bnei David pre-army yeshiva academy at the West Bank settlement of Eli , who recently gave his students a lecture in which he called female military service "crazy."

Liberman sent a letter to Levenstein calling on him to resign or have state recognition of the yeshiva canceled.

Speaking at the Otzem pre-military academy last week, Levenstein said that military service drives female soldiers crazy and strips them of their Jewishness.

"They recruit them to the army, where they enter as Jews, but they're not Jews by the time they leave," he said.

Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennet was scathing in his dismissal of Liberman's letter, comparing it to his comments that Israel should bomb Egypt's Aswan damn and his promise that Hamas leader Ismail Hamiyeh would be assasinated within 48 hours if he was appointed defense minister.

At the same time Bennett stressed that he rejected the rabbi's comments about women.

source: http://www.iba.org.il/world/reka.aspx?lang=en 15.03.17 - 20:23

[Yehudayaakov]

 Those enlisting must refuse orders and leave base!

[edu]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/20291

The difficulties facing religious IDF soldiers
A shocking letter from an IDF soldier about the religious problems when serving in a non-hesder unit.
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, 18/03/17 20:55
Fulfilling the Obligation to Protest in the Army
Following my column two weeks ago about the obligation for soldiers to protest religious infractions in the army that affect them, I received responses that shook my soul. I had written that every soldier who encountered problems in the areas of modesty and religion in the army that his commander refused to solve, is obligated to protest with all the means at his disposal, including contacting the ombudsman of the Personnel Division, the hotline of the Military Rabbinate, civilian bodies that accompany soldiers such as the ‘Union of Hesder Yeshivas’ or the ‘Tzav Echad’ organization, and in severe cases, to contact media organizations ready to lend a hand, for example the ‘Besheva’ newspaper, and ‘Arutz Sheva.’

I mentioned the halakha that one is required to admonish a transgressor, even if one repeats the rebuke a hundred times (Bava Metzia 31a) – even if the admonishment is extremely unpleasant – until the person being rebuked is liable to retaliate (Archin 16b; Rambam De’ot 6:7). Not only that, but even when there is very little chance that the admonishment will succeed, one must nevertheless rebuke. I also mentioned that our Sages said that anyone who does not rebuke a transgressor, and did not participate in the transgression itself, becomes a partner to the sin. Regarding transgressions of public nature, one who refrains from rebuking is punished first (Shabbat 55a), and when there is absolutely no chance the admonishment will be useful, there is a mitzvah to reprove once, but also a mitzvah not to continue admonishing (Yevamot 65b; Rema, O. C., 608:2, M.B. 9).

From the responses I received, I realized that additional thought was necessary. I will share the most detailed response from someone I know to be trustworthy and honest.

The Life of a Religious Soldier
“Rabbi, I studied carefully what you wrote about the obligation of a soldier to protest about any issue harming his ability to fulfill the mitzvot of  the Torah. I am aware that other rabbis also think we should act in this way, however, I feel compelled to say that the problem is much more difficult and complex. Rabbi, I would appreciate it if you could give this your consideration, and instruct us on how to act in practice.”
“For three years I served in the Armored Corps, and I was extremely careful not to let anyone harm my religiosity. There were other soldiers who also felt the same way, and we tried to hold our ground. On the other hand, there were some observant soldiers who became weakened in their religious observance. This distressed some of them, but assessing that they could not change the system, they decided to lower their heads.

There were a host of problems in matters of religion. Here are just some of the stories that came to mind while reading your column:

1) In one army outpost we had a television room. Sometimes soldiers would turn on the television on Shabbat, and would often watch immodest shows. There was no other place for me to relax when I could take a break.

2) Female soldiers would often walk around in the men’s quarters without uniforms, and half-undressed.

3) Music played over the loudspeakers during breaks was generally inappropriate.

4) Several times practice exercises of enemy attacks on a convoy or on the army base, were held on Shabbat. I refused to obey those orders, and by the grace of God, my commanders refrained from court-martialing me.

5) Food is brought to outposts on Shabbat, even though they can do so before the Sabbath.

6) Soldiers blast loud music on Shabbat.

7) Training begins very early in the morning without giving us time to pray (this is against the rules, ed.). At the last minute, my direct officer would do me a favor and give me ten minutes to recite ‘Shema Yisrael’ and don tefillin.

8} For several weeks, we were in a remote outpost – four male soldiers, and four female soldiers serving as lookouts. To say the situation was immodest is an understatement.

9) Once, a friend of mine, a soldier, brought a female soldier to his bed. Afterwards, he respected my request not to do so again.

10) Even secular friends, who out of respect for us religious soldiers try to avoid talking crudely around us, regularly read newspapers full of obscenities, and often hang indecent pictures in their rooms and tanks. The bathrooms are full of obscene drawings and sayings on the walls. Occasionally, rumors spread about men and women soldiers sleeping together in one of the company’s rooms. In general, sex is what interests everyone in the platoon, and consequently, the soldiers and commanders speak about it often. The more women present, the more they talk about it, and with greater vulgarity.

Matters of Kashrut
1) At times during my regular service, drivers and Bedouin trackers hunted porcupines and cooked them in kitchen utensils.

2) A common phenomenon in reserve duty is that cooks prepare dishes using hard cheese, contrary to the stipulations of the Military Rabbinate (which forbids dairy cooking, ed.).

3) After complaining about the violations of kashrut, they transferred us to another company. We had to adapt to the new company.

4) A year later while in reserve duty, a cook brought spices and non-kosher knives from his home.
Evening Events for the Platoon
1) Evening events for the platoon in regular and reserve duty, intended to solidify and unite the group, almost always have problems of kashrut involving the meat and the grill. All the secular soldiers eat to their heart’s content, while some of the traditional soldiers try to find a partial solution. And the observant soldiers, for whom kashrut is imperative, make do with pita and hummus.

2) For many of these evening events and outings they bring live entertainment shows including female singers who often dance on stage, and perform in other immodest ways.

3) For one evening event they bought non-kosher meat from an Arab village. Following my complaint to the Rabbinate, they bought kosher meat for the observant soldiers. Afterwards, my commander scolded me, asking why I got the Rabbinate involved, and didn’t leave the issue between the two of us.

If I complain, I’ll be considered an informer
I estimate that when I was a soldier, I would have had cause to send a complaint to the Rabbinate every other day. Even if I did it only once a month, in the eyes of my fellow soldiers I would have been considered a “rat”, and an “informer”. In such a situation there are no words to describe the army service awaiting the tattling soldier. It would be like prison for him. He would be isolated, alienated and subject to hostility from all those around him. Chances are he would suffer violence (“hazing”) and his officers would wake him up in the morning by screaming at him (not very pleasant). There’s also a good chance his commanders would give him all the most annoying jobs. Over every little thing that commanders usually turn a blind eye to and do not punish, he would receive an even greater punishment. And he wouldn’t even have someone to talk to about it. Needless to say, promotion would be totally out of the question.

By nature, I’m the type of person who demands what’s coming to him. Usually, I preferred to solve the problems quietly, but when I encountered contempt, I did not capitulate, and demanded that my needs be respected, and when that did not work, several times I filed a complaint. But it was very hard.

After I filed a complaint about the problem of kashrut to the Rabbinate, I was summoned to a disciplinary hearing with the company commander. I told him “naively” that they simply had made all the kitchen utensils non-kosher therefore, I turned to the Rabbinate to make sure the utensils were returned to their kosher state. I did not dare tell him the truth that it was wrong for them to have fed the entire company treif, and as a result I had to turn the Rabbinate! Why didn’t I tell the truth? Because I didn’t want the nightmare of being called the “talebearer” of the company, and also, I didn’t want to quarrel with the commander.

Every soldier wants to have friends in the army, therefore he prefers not to accentuate that which distinguishes himself from others, and certainly not to file complaints.
So what did I do? I tried to stay away from the general crowd; during breaks I went to the synagogue, or other quiet places. I tried to find religiously observant friends or those with good character, and talked to them.

Rabbi! There really are a lot of problems in the army, but I do not understand how one can expect a soldier, who is so dependent on the individuals surrounding him and his commanders, to file complaints?!

Nevertheless, Rabbi, perhaps your advice will improve the situation, by the mere fact that more soldiers will be aware they can file a complaint. And also that within the religious community, people will begin to hear and understand the problems of religious soldiers, and maybe as a result, the political leadership will also be required to tackle the issue and try to solve it.

Rabbi, may the words of the Torah you write, continue illuminating all areas of life.”

My shock and sorrow
While reading this letter, tears welled-up in my eyes. I realized that in essence, this issue is not just about ostracism, but ‘pikuach nefesh‘ (a life-threatening situation). After all, soldiers have to go out to battle relying on one another. Therefore, camaraderie is a supreme value in the army. How can soldiers rely on those they consider “talebearers”?! And how can such a soldier count on others when they ostracize him?!

I also thought to myself: these soldiers, who perhaps don’t behave with the greatest amount of modesty, and don’t observe Shabbat and kashrut meticulously – they are heroes who sacrifice their lives to protect the nation and the country. This is a tragic situation. How easy it would be for them to escape responsibility under such circumstances – to avoid military service as so many haredi yound men do, or take a “vacation” from the mitzvot of the Torah for the duration of their service.

Now the immense importance of Hesder yeshivas can also be understood, for soldiers serving within that framework do not have to deal with most of these problems.

Another thought that came to mind: how heroic are those religiously observant soldiers who serve in the regular army, but nevertheless, maintain their religious and ethical level.

An Intermediate Summary
It’s worth noting that other soldiers wrote to me, that as far as the commanders are concerned, refusing an order is far superior to filing a complaint. Therefore, it is very difficult to set a directive that all soldiers must complain about everything that is not conducted properly.

We must clarify a few other aspects of the issue: how are complaints treated in other professions? What topics is it acceptable to complain about? Till what point are complaints helpful? Can parents be more effective partners? What degree of responsibility do the army rabbis and government officials have? I hope to also be assisted in answering these questions by further comments that I’m sure will come from my readers.

Meanwhile, I will try to be more precise about the duty of protesting – an explicit mitzvah from the Torah – while adapting it to the present circumstances: a soldier who encounters a problem is obligated to speak to his commanders. Presumably, knowledge of the problems will limit their scope. Soldiers must also inform their parents and rabbis about all the problems they encounter. Such conversations will probably lead to helpful suggestions about how to remedy the situation.

Indeed, the obligation for sharp protest remains in force, however in most cases, it may be advantageous to postpone it until the end of army service, or when a soldier is transferred to another unit.

This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ Hebrew weekly newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew. Other interesting, informative, and thought-provoking articles by Rabbi Melamed can be found at:
http://en.yhb.org.il/

[Israel Chai]

Rabbi Melamed: A wave of insanity has infected the IDF

Eminent Zionist rabbi lambasts the IDF for its anti-religious actions, calls for an end to the leftist inspired cultural war.
Contact Editor
Arutz Sheva Staff, 22/03/17 01:27

Rabbi Melamed
Rabbi MelamedHezki Baruch

Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, one of the heads of the mechina (pre-IDF preparatory) yeshiva In Eli, has been summoned to a hearing this week at the Defense Ministry, according to Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman. The hearing is in response to the rabbi's sharp words against women serving in the IDF and his vehement and vocal opposition to mixed gender combat units as mandated in the latest army directives..

Arutz Sheva Editor-in-Chief Uzi Baruch asked eminent Religious Zionist rabbi and prominent leader Rabbi Baruch Zalman Melamed, the founding dean of the Beit El Yeshiva, his views on the recent crises in the once-harmonious relationship between the Religious Zionist community and the Israel Defense Forces.

This is a difficult week for the yeshiva in Eli, isn't it?

Rabbi Melamed: I know Rabbbi Levinstein well. He is a respected and G-d fearing Torah scholar, an excellent.educator. The IDF owes him a great deal for preparing his students to be dedicated and courageous soldiers, for encouraging them to go on to be officers and for his outstanding success in sending such superb fighters to the army. There are only positive things to say about him.

Rabbi Eli Sadan, the dean of the yeshiva, has announced that he will not fire Rabbi Levinstein. It seems as though the Religious Zionists have decided to stand up for their rights, especially when the Defense Ministry threatens the outstanding yeshiva in Eli. What is your feeling on this?

Rabbi Melamed: There is no justification for any sanctions to be applied to the mechina in Eli, one of the best in Israel. That is quite clear. The only fitting thing to do is to praise that yeshiva for its incomparable accomplishments and for the Ministry to grant the institution more funding because of the excellent soldiers it has produced - and in that, all the credit goes to Rabbi Sadan and Rabbi Levinstein.

They tell us, Rabbi, that we religious are backward and primitive. We are in the 21st century, they say, get real, what reasons can we provide for not having women serving in combat units alongside men?

Rabbi Melamed: The way of life set out by the Jewish faith is the most progressive lifestyle there is. This ethical way of life has survived many attempts to overcome it with transient, inane and sometimes evil societal mores. It will survive the current attack of temporary insanity that has gripped the IDF, the attempts to blur differences between the sexes and eliminate adherence to moral values that have preserved the Jewish people for millennia and will continue to do so.

You said that serving in mixed gender units Is a greater sin than eating non-kosher foods. Is that true?

Absolutely. I am not going to go into halakhic details, that is reserved for my lectures to scholars in the Beit Midrash, but there is no doubt that serving in mixed gender combat units is a greater transgression than that of eating pork or other forbidden foods.

You meet with IDF rabbis, and you hear of new phenomena on IDF bases. Do you believe we are in the midst of a culture war? What do you hear from the rabbis?

Rabbi Melamed: There is no question that we are embroiled in a culture war that has infiltrated the IDF. For the last year and half, there is a negative feeling emanating from IDF upper echelons with regard to the IDF Rabbinate. It adversely affects the IDF rabbinate and does not allow it to function. Its role has been downsized. I have heard that the Chief IDF rabbi has had most of his power taken away and I regret that this is the case.

There are less kashrut inspectors than before and I have been told that there are units without any kashrut supervisors. That means a religious soldier in those units is not allowed to eat the food he is served. That is the situation described to me by reliable people who are involved in army life

And there is another crucial role the rabbinate had and that has been taken away from it. IDF rabbis also were tasked with teaching Jewish identity, Jewish consciousness. a feeling of Jewish continuity, all of which contributed a great deal to the spirit and ideology of the soldiers.guarding Israel and the Land of Israel. Not having the rabbinate in charge of this harms the fighting strength of our soldiers.

We have been told that there will be joint bathrooms in the IDF.

Rabbi Melamed: This is really a terrible thing, it harms the soldiers, goes against what they would want, their desire to keep a level of modesty while in active service. It is impossible to understand why the IDF would want to eliminate basic privacy between men and women and vulgarize every aspect of their lives.

Where did this evil idea come from ? What exactly does it add to the army? Who needs it? It is incomprehensible. Most IDF soldiers are traditional or religious and this is diametrically opposed to their lifestyles. How can the IDF dictate decisions on non-military issues that are against the wishes of its soldiers?

Do you think it's because the IDF is afraid that too many religious soldiers mean more religious officers and their eventually filling the ranks of higher positions in the IDF?

Rabbi Melamed: That could be. There may be people who feel that way in the upper echelons. but there are deeper reasons for what is happening. Over the past few years the educational programs in the IDF have been run by radical left organizations who were allowed to teach their philosophy and it has had a devastating effect on our forces, especially the higher ranks. It didn't just bring us the mixed gender units, it also affected our military success. The 2014 Gaza Protective Edge operation evidenced problems in defining goals and the comptroller showed that finding to us.

The IDF is the army of the Jewish people and it should stress our connection to the land, our homeland since Joshua conquered it. If the IDF's connection to Jewish history is gone, the inner spirit that leads it to victory is gone.

[edu]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/227373
Rabbi Shmuel Tal sends letter of support for MK Smotrich after MK was criticized for suggesting Religious Zionists delay enlistment.
Rabbi Shmuel Tal, the head of the Torat Haim Yeshiva which was evicted from Neve Dekalim and later relocated to Yad Binyamin, sent a strong letter of support Monday to MK Betzalel Smotrich (Jewish Home). Smotrich had been sharply criticized by Rabbi Tzvi Tau, the head of the Har Hamor Yeshiva over his call to delay enlistment of Religious Zionist yeshiva students to the IDF.

Rabbi Tal wrote: "I wish to express my admiration and regard for your strong stand in the wake of the crises threatening the people of Israel and the IDF these days."

"It is clear to every normal person that the mixed service directive is merely designed to exploit the IDF in order to inculcate the public with values which are opposed to our holy Torah. This comes at the expense of the real goals of the IDF. The notion that we can win disputes of this type 'with love ' without insisting on clear and circumscribed limits, is an egregious error . Despite our significant participation in the IDF, this attitude leads to our being trampled time and again. It started with using the IDF to destroy blossoming communities in a move which defied human logic and has now led to compelling soldiers to serve in permissive and immoral situations," wrote Rabbi Tal.

He added that "in general, public outcries are a result of weakness and lack of clarity. Our youth are confused. They believe in the army so deeply , are so convinced that the demand to dismiss Rabbi Levinstein from his position is an anomaly that they cannot imagine the possibility of delaying enlistment over this. Unfortunately our youth are devotees of the decision makers in the army and receive similar treatment from them."

"Blessed are you,Betzalel for publicly fulfilling the command 'Do not fear any person' and for saying the truth in public. May it be G-d's will that you continue sanctifying G-d's name in your public activity," concluded Rabbi Tal..