Israel Matzav

'That excel in strength, that do His commandments'

Pictured above is a copy of one of some 200,000 leaflets that have been prepared in support of the IDF soldiers who refused to participate in the expulsion of Jews from Hebron yesterday. The top line is the verse (Pslams 103:20) with which I have titled this post. The rest of the leaflet reads as follows:

The nation of Israel strengthens and encourages the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who obeyed the laws of the Holy Torah and refused to carry out the criminal order to expel Jews from the City of the Patriarchs, Hebron.

These soldiers are worthy of having their names engraved in gold in letters in Jewish history with the title "Heroes of Israel."

With your act, you will God willing save the Jewish community in Judea and Samaria by saving the people of Israel from all that seek to destroy it. (Translation mine - CiJ).

YNet has more details:

Some 200,000 leaflets have been prepared to support the 12 soldiers, yeshiva students in military service, who stood disciplinary trial for their insubordination and were sentenced to 14-28 days imprisonment.

But beyond the leaflet campaign, the SOS Israel rabbinical board issued an edict forbidding soldiers from carrying out similar orders. A giant rally is planned in support of the refuseniks and they will be awarded citations of distinction and certificates signed by rabbis and public figures proclaiming them 'Heroes of Israel.'

The punishment given to most of the soldiers – 28 days imprisonment – is the maximum sentence a brigade commander, who holds the rank of Lt. Col., has the authority to give.

Military sources have said that beyond the decision to imprison the soldiers and suspend them from combat duty, the army will also consider canceling the program that allows them to serve only 18 months and extend their service to the full three years Israeli men are required to serve in uniform.

The final decision will be made after consultations with Maj. Gen. Elazar Stern, head of the IDF's Personnel Directorate.

If by 'canceling the program' they mean canceling Hesder (as opposed to expelling these students from the Hesder program), that would be most unwise on the IDF's part. Leaving aside for the moment that it would be proverbially throwing the baby out with the bathwater, it would also encourage more boys to seek deferments for "Torato umanuto" (studying Torah full time), which I thought was something I thought the IDF was trying to cut back.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:33 PM