TEL AVIV // Religious groups are increasingly taking control over Israel's army, according to a group of reservist major generals.
The claim was published this week by Israeli media and ignited a fierce public debate about the growing religious control over the army.
It was also a rare public show of condemnation of the army by senior security establishment figures, typically known for their loyalty and discreetness.
The letter of protest appeared to feed into tensions in a country where a growing religious minority has been slowly bolstering its influence on key institutions, including the military.
The army has been becoming increasingly reliant on religious and settler recruits to join its combat units because the secular middle class has become less motivated to sign up, even though their members have formed the army's backbone since Israel's creation in 1948.
A study published last year by the military's Maarachot journal showed that about a third of the graduates of an officers' training course viewed themselves as religious, compared with about 12 per cent of the general population.
In Israel, military service is obligatory for most Jewish 18 year olds, with males serving for three years and women for two.
Statistics from the military show that about a third of all soldiers are female but they are excluded from about 10 per cent of all positions, such as infantry units.
In the letter, the 19 signatories - among them former army, air-force and navy commanders - criticised demands by religious soldiers and officers to separate female soldiers from their male counterparts due to religious sensitivities.
Several recent high-profile cases were cited, including a walkout by cadets who did not want to see women singing at a military event, and demands to hinder females from training male soldiers or from participating in army celebratory events with men.
The army created controversy and spurred some critics to attack it after it announced it would assign retired army rabbis to battalions along the northern frontier to advance religious values among the soldiers.
Traditionally, rabbis in the Israeli army were more focused on overseeing religious ceremonies and supervising that food in the kitchens conformed to Jewish dietary laws.
Ran Goren, one of the signatories and a former head of the military's human resources branch, told Israeli radio that female soldiers were increasingly being excluded from combat units that have a high proportion of religious soldiers.
"To avoid problems, male soldiers are preferred over female ones," he said.
The document, addressed to the defence minister, Ehud Barak, and military chief Benny Gantz, said the officials must "prevent harm being caused to women soldiers … so as to stop the rolling snowball, a snowball which is liable in the future to harm the security of the state of Israel and the basic values of Israeli society as a whole".
The generals called on Mr Barak and Mr Gantz to issue specific directives to military units to avoid imposing religious norms on male and female soldiers.
The Israeli army, in a bid to offset the falling number of secular men joining its ranks, has tried to persuade more ultra-Orthodox men to enlist by creating all-male units that would have little exposure to females.
Along with increasing numbers of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, the proportion of young settlers from the Israeli-occupied West Bank has also been also growing.
Analysts believe many of the settler soldiers were driven by a religious and nationalistic ideology that includes strengthening Jewish control over the Palestinian territories.
It has also been said that the segregation of women and men was not the only effect of the rising religious influence over the army.
The increasing share of settler conscripts has also been having a political impact, partly contributing to a reluctance of Israeli leaders to evacuate the West Bank since it would be more challenging to find soldiers willing to complete the task.
Religious figures have played down tensions between women and religious soldiers.
Avichai Ronsky, a former chief rabbi of the military, said in a radio interview on Monday that the officers who sent the letter "don't know the current military reality", which includes increasingly more religious officers. He added that religious soldiers and women "get along well" in the army.
The military claimed it does not monitor the religious leanings of soldiers. Its internet site claims it is committed to being "a leading organisation in society where women and men work as one" and to providing "equal opportunity" based on merit and talent.
vbekker@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013