Rabbi Pendel, a Givati Brigade reservist, pushed back against claims that rabbis promote draft evasion, saying 'we believe in the IDF' and that the real struggle is against a High Court that is disconnected from reality. Speaking to Yinon Magal, Pendel argued rabbis encourage service in a military that accommodates religious Jews.
Rabbi Pendel, a reservist in the IDF's Givati Brigade, addressed the controversy surrounding rabbinic calls regarding military enlistment in an interview with journalist Yinon Magal. Pendel rejected the framing that rabbis are promoting draft dodging, stating: 'On the contrary, we want to serve in an army that allows a religious Jew to serve.' He further clarified his position: 'We believe in the IDF. Our struggle is against the High Court, which is disconnected and detached from reality.'
The remarks come amid ongoing tension between parts of the religious-Zionist public and the High Court of Justice over issues of military service and judicial authority. As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, a senior IDF officer said the court is placing the military in an impossible position, following a rabbis' letter on service. Political parties have also weighed in: the Religious Zionism faction vowed not to advance any bill equating draft avoiders with soldiers.
The messaging from Pendel — a reserve combat soldier — represents an effort by religious figures to position themselves as pro-IDF while directing their criticism strictly at the judiciary.
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