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Sixteen religious male Israeli soldiers are to serve prison sentences after refusing to take part in a mission in Gaza because of the presence of a female paramedic, the IDF has said.
The soldiers, from the Givati Brigade, refused an order last Wednesday when they failed to enter an armoured personnel carrier in the Gaza Strip for operational activity because a female paramedic was attached to the force. The operation was cancelled as a result, the Times of Israel reported.
Five soldiers described by the army as having “led the incident” were sentenced to 10 days in prison, while the remaining 11 received five-day sentences.
The disciplinary action has sparked a political row, with finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the defence ministry, backing the soldiers and saying he would demand answers from the IDF.
“The soldiers have the full backing of the rabbis and directors of the Hesder Yeshivot Association, who examined the issue thoroughly and with the appropriate caution and stand behind the decision,” the far-right leader of the Religious Zionism party said following the decision.
“I prayed and hoped with all my heart that the IDF would come to its senses and prevent the need for my intervention, but since that did not happen, as the leader of Religious Zionism, I cannot sit idly by, and I will demand answers from the IDF on the matter,” he added.
Smotrich also criticised the army for confronting soldiers who he said “serve and contribute the most”, arguing that the decision could damage public trust in the IDF.
Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who now leads the Yashar Party and has emerged as the main contender to Benjamin Netanyahu in next month’s Israeli election, hit out at Smotrich, accusing him of encouraging insubordination and of “recklessness”.
"This is not the first time Smotrich has called for insubordination,” Eisenkot wrote on X.
"A minister in the defence ministry who promoted draft evasion during wartime and continues, constantly, to invest in dismantling the IDF and work determinedly to harm the command, the IDF's values, and public trust in it,” he said.
"Recklessness. There are chasms between Smotrich and the values of the sons and daughters of Religious Zionism – those who serve, who are dedicated, who love the people and the land," the former IDF chief of staff added.
The dispute comes amid an increasingly bitter debate over the integration of women into combat roles, particularly among Religious Zionist soldiers.
In June, rabbis from 25 hesder yeshivas – institutions that combine Torah study with military service – said they would not allow their students to serve in Armoured Corps units because of the integration of female combat soldiers.
The rabbis argued that placing men and women together in tanks could harm combat capability and conflict with religious standards concerning modesty and physical contact.
The IDF has said it intends to expand opportunities for women in combat, while Israel’s supreme court ruled earlier this year that women must be allowed to apply for all combat positions.
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