Bezalel Smotrich supports religious Givati Brigade soldiers who were sentenced to military prison for refusing to board a vehicle with a female medic
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has expressed his support for religious soldiers from the Givati Brigade who were sentenced to 10 days in military prison. The soldiers, who serve in the Rotem Battalion and are enrolled in the Hesder program, refused to board a Namer armored personnel carrier because a female medic was present during a routine operational activity in the Gaza Strip. Smotrich stated that the soldiers were fulfilling their religious duties and preserving their values while adhering to the joint-service order. He has demanded answers from the IDF regarding the handling of the incident, criticizing the military for punishing soldiers who were following religious guidelines. While the military maintains that the user-defined operational urgency justified the mission, religious leaders and politicians have rallied behind the soldiers. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions regarding religious accommodations in the Israeli military, particularly as the country debates the integration of men and women in combat roles. The soldiers' refusal was backed by several rabbis, including Rabbi Tzvi Kostiner and Rabbi Shlomo Shushan, who had previously instructed students to avoid boarding a combat vehicle with a female medic.