Feminisim, Religion, and the IDF

Women of the IDF (Reuters)

No one is more upset about the Charedi refusal to join the IDF than I am. I think I’ve spilled more (virtual) ink on the subject than just about anyone. The reasons for that are well known. I have spelled them out many times and am not going to do so again here. But there is one impediment to their service that gives them just cause to object.

Not that the requirement for service during an existential war doesn’t override it. It does. Nevertheless, it presents a legitimate concern for religious soldiers in the abstract. One that, in theory, should not exist, but has become a reality in service to a 21^st century version of feminism that does not recognize gender differences.

This version of feminism sees equality between the sexes as the ultimate cultural good. One that overrides everything else, including - and of late, especially - religious sensitivities.

If there is one institutional aspect of Israeli society that looks at religious sensitivities with disdain, if not outright contempt, it is the judiciary. It views those sensitivities as an impediment to social progress as defined by progressive movements such as modern day feminism.

So that when a conflict arises between the two, there is no question about which values are deemed to have the moral high ground. Equality of the sexes wins every time. That is what drives the courts to require compliance with policies that further that goal. Regardless of religious concerns, about which they care very little.

So when the Charedi world accuses Israel’s judiciary of being anti-Torah, they are not entirely off base. The most recent example is the Israeli Supreme Court’s requirement that men and women be integrated into the IDF’s armored corps units, placing them together in the confined quarters of tanks and other armored vehicles. All in service to equality between the sexes.

If one does not value religious sensitivities, this policy makes perfect sense. But if one is sensitive to issues of modesty between men and women and wishes to avoid situations where they may be confined together in close quarters for extended periods of time, it is an outrageous demand. One that the IDF absolutely does not require for military purposes. The only reason the judiciary insists upon its implementation is in service to an ideological ideal that many religious servicemen view as anathema.

Nor are religious soldiers Primadonnas seeking easy assignments. Quite the contrary. Some of the bravest and most elite soldiers in the IDF come from the Religious Zionist community. Particularly from Hesder yeshivas, whose students often volunteer in groups for the most dangerous combat missions. These are the very soldiers upon whom the judiciary wishes to impose its feminist values. It is almost as though they care more about feminism than they do about protecting their country from its mortal enemies!

Even if one can devise ways to technically avoid violations of the halachos of modesty, doing so becomes extremely difficult if not impossible during the long stretches of time male and female soldiers must so often spend together.

For the judiciary to place soldiers in uncomfortable and potentially compromising situations for no purpose other than social engineering is the height of arrogance…

To continue reading - and/or to comment on this post  - click on this link: substack. You must subscribe to receive new posts. It's easy and it's free.