Smotrich says he would tell his daughter not to enlist in 'Israeli' army
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- 'Israeli' Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he would advise his daughter not to serve in the IOF, citing religious guidance.
'Israeli' Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich said he would counsel his daughter against serving in the 'Israeli' army, citing religious guidance and longstanding community values.
“If my daughter asked me, I would try to educate her not to go” serve in the military, Smotrich told reporters during a faction meeting in the Knesset. “The Chief Rabbinate is against this. This is the position of my rabbis. I hope that you, these big progressives, can also respect the values of several thousand years…. And I of course respect those who think differently than I do.”
Religious debate over women in the military
The role of religious women in the IOF remains a divisive issue within the national religious community. Leading religious Zionist rabbis have argued that military service for women is immodest and inappropriate.
Smotrich, who himself enlisted at age 28 and served a shortened IOF term, has previously voiced opposition to mixed-gender combat units in the military, reflecting his broader stance on maintaining traditional religious values in national service.
This latest statement highlights ongoing tensions between progressive societal norms and conservative religious perspectives within 'Israel’s' military and political landscape.
