JERUSALEM: An Israeli rabbi was fiercely criticized Wednesday for saying women who join the army come back as “non-Jews,” in a controversy that coincided with International Women’s Day.
Ultra-conservative rabbi Yigal Levinstein, who heads a pre-military academy in the Eli settlement in the occupied West Bank, said in a lecture that women enter the army as Jews and come out non-Jews.
“Who will marry them?” he asked.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman condemned the comments and urged Levinstein to consider his position.
“Since the establishment of the state (of Israel), women have served in the army and have greatly contributed to the security of the country,” said Lieberman.
“Rabbi Levinstein’s statements are not only an insult to Israelis, but also to the Israeli army, its heritage and all the fundamental values of the state of Israel,” he said.
Lieberman said he would “reconsider” the rabbi’s role in preparing young men for military service.
Military service is compulsory for both men and women in Israel, though ultra-Orthodox Jews, who make up about 10 percent of the country’s eight million citizens, are among those exempt.
Military officials have been seeking to encourage the ultra-Orthodox to enlist.
A military spokesman said 2,200 women from religious backgrounds currently serve in the army, up from 937 in 2010.
The Israeli army infantry has four mixed battalions, he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an indirect reference to the controversy on Wednesday, telling a parliamentary committee women played an “important role in defending the country’s security,” Israeli media reported.
A fringe of ultra-conservative rabbis, members of the religious nationalist movement, hold a traditional view of the role of women, arguing they should be primarily concerned with caring for children and the home.
They also believe women should respect Jewish conventions which demand they dress modestly — skirts or long robes and long sleeves — and behave with deference toward men.
Levinstein was banned in 2016 from giving lectures on army bases after calling homosexuals “perverts.”
Israeli rabbi: women joining army become ‘non-Jews’
Israeli rabbi: women joining army become ‘non-Jews’
Syrian authorities arrest 3 members of pro-Assad armed group in Hama
- The group is accused of engaging in incitement against the state to undermine security and stability
- 30 people targeted by separate operation in Tartus, including what security forces describe as remnants of the Assad regime, instigators and outlaws
LONDON: Syrian authorities in Hama have arrested three people accused of involvement in an armed group linked to remnants of the deposed regime of the former president, Bashar Assad.
The Internal Security Command in Al-Ghab, central Syria, said on Wednesday that the group had engaged in incitement against the state with the aim of undermining security and stability.
Brig. Gen. Mulham Al-Shantout, commander of internal security in Hama, said the operation that led to the arrests was carried out in coordination with counterterrorism authorities.
About 30 people were targeted as part of a separate operation in Tartus, the Internal Security Command said, including what it described as remnants of the Assad regime, instigators and outlaws. One individual was killed during armed clashes with members of the security forces, three of whom were injured, and a cache of weapons and ammunition was seized in the coastal city.
Authorities said they remain strongly committed to protecting citizens, maintaining civil peace and enforcing the law against anyone who jeopardizes the security and stability of the country, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
