Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports that the Paratroopers Engineering Corps soldiers were brought on Friday to Saad, a religious kibbutz in the Negev, where they slept in a gym. They ate the evening Sabbath meal at residents' homes. Yesterday, during the course of the Sabbath, the soldiers received an order to board army buses and travel to the checkpoints.
Many soldiers, especially those who are Sabbath-observant, complained about being taken on a non-life-saving mission on the Sabbath. They also protested the lack of an army rabbi accompanying them, with whom to clarify whether the mission was sufficiently critical to justify the desecration of the Sabbath.
The soldiers were told that they were replacing Givati Brigade soldiers, who were being transferred to northern Gaza for anti-Kassam offensive activity. This activity has not yet been carried out, however, despite the intensified rocket attacks against Israeli targets of the last few days. Prime Minister Sharon has given Abu Mazen more time to "rein in" the terrorists and enforce quiet.
Several officers tried to find out if IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Weiss (pictured) had given his approval for the mission. It turned out that Rabbi Weiss had in fact approved the mission, based on what he was told by the Chief of Staff's office. Rabbi Weiss was told of intelligence information of "secular right-wingers who intend to cut the fence around the Gaza Strip in order to enter Gush Katif." This was therefore a case of "life and death," Rabbi Weiss was told, endangering both the Jewish infiltrators and Negev residents, who would be exposed to terrorist infiltrations.
Based on this information, Rabbi Weiss approved the operation.
Huberman reports in the name of senior army officers, however, that there was no such intelligence information. The story was contrived merely to receive the Chief Rabbi's approval, they said, and in fact no "secular fence-cutters" were found.
The IDF Spokesman's Office informed Huberman, "The IDF is committed to the preservation of the sanctity of the Sabbath, and in every case of non-routine activity, it is done in coordination with the IDF Chief Rabbi. If there is no fear of danger to human life, or if there is no operative need, the Sabbath will not be desecrated."
As reported on Friday, former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu issued a Halakhic ruling stating that maintaining the Gush Katif closure is forbidden, and certainly so if it involves the desecration of the Sabbath.
Rabbi Weiss was asked by Arutz-7's Uzi Baruch early this afternoon, "Was this a case of life and death?"
In measured tones, Rabbi Weiss responded, "I protest the tone of the question and [the way this story is presented]. Let's start with the fact that my Thursday and Friday were dedicated to a war that I waged on all levels for the sanctity of the Sabbath in the IDF, from the Chief of Staff and down through all levels of command involved in the Gush Katif checkpoints... On Thursday night, I had a long talk with Chief of Staff [Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz], and we came to the conclusion that the checkpoints around Gush Katif are in the category of 'obligatory operational activity.' ...
"Halutz presented me with intelligence information showing that there could be danger to life if these checkpoints were not manned. But at the same time, I spent the whole day making sure that there would be no Sabbath desecration, going over all the details of the day and what would happen - including making sure to bring food to the checkpoints beforehand and the like - with each one of the commanders, on all levels."
Q. "Could it be that they sold you a story just to get you to agree?"
A. (Clearly controlling himself) "I can't respond to this style of question. There is too much respect in the IDF for the Sabbath - especially since the mishap of the Sabbath evacuation of the Gilad outpost [in October 2002]..."
Q. "What have you to say to the religious soldiers who had to travel on the Sabbath to man checkpoints that are designed to keep people out of Gush Katif?"
A. "... The traveling on the Sabbath from Kibbutz Saad to the outposts was a foul-up, and was against the orders and against everything that we had agreed... Everything went according to plan, except for the commander of one unit, a certain Lt.-Col. whose name I won't mention. The Southern Region Commander told me that he personally will preside at this officer's trial. This was one bad foul-up, but it certainly doesn't reflect the entire situation."
MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, of the Religious Zionism Renewal Party, was next to speak on Arutz-7, and said, "I greatly admire Rabbi Weiss, and we are good friends [etc.], and I'm saddened that there were opposing rulings on the issue, by former Chief Rabbis Shapira and Eliyahu, and Rabbi Weiss. What is a religious soldier supposed to do in such a case? I call upon Rabbi Weiss to make sure that this doesn't happen again, because in the end, he's the one who loses... This was a big mishap - not only the fact that some soldiers traveled on Sabbath, which is a terrible thing in itself, but also that there were two different rulings. There will be many more questions of this nature, and he must consult with them; their doors are open to him."
Rabbi Weiss had told Baruch that he tried to speak with Rabbi Eliyahu on Friday, but "it didn't work out."
Click Here to Visit Gush Katif via Arutz-7's Interactive Map and Virtual Video
Many soldiers, especially those who are Sabbath-observant, complained about being taken on a non-life-saving mission on the Sabbath. They also protested the lack of an army rabbi accompanying them, with whom to clarify whether the mission was sufficiently critical to justify the desecration of the Sabbath.
The soldiers were told that they were replacing Givati Brigade soldiers, who were being transferred to northern Gaza for anti-Kassam offensive activity. This activity has not yet been carried out, however, despite the intensified rocket attacks against Israeli targets of the last few days. Prime Minister Sharon has given Abu Mazen more time to "rein in" the terrorists and enforce quiet.
Several officers tried to find out if IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Weiss (pictured) had given his approval for the mission. It turned out that Rabbi Weiss had in fact approved the mission, based on what he was told by the Chief of Staff's office. Rabbi Weiss was told of intelligence information of "secular right-wingers who intend to cut the fence around the Gaza Strip in order to enter Gush Katif." This was therefore a case of "life and death," Rabbi Weiss was told, endangering both the Jewish infiltrators and Negev residents, who would be exposed to terrorist infiltrations.
Based on this information, Rabbi Weiss approved the operation.
Huberman reports in the name of senior army officers, however, that there was no such intelligence information. The story was contrived merely to receive the Chief Rabbi's approval, they said, and in fact no "secular fence-cutters" were found.
The IDF Spokesman's Office informed Huberman, "The IDF is committed to the preservation of the sanctity of the Sabbath, and in every case of non-routine activity, it is done in coordination with the IDF Chief Rabbi. If there is no fear of danger to human life, or if there is no operative need, the Sabbath will not be desecrated."
As reported on Friday, former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu issued a Halakhic ruling stating that maintaining the Gush Katif closure is forbidden, and certainly so if it involves the desecration of the Sabbath.
Rabbi Weiss was asked by Arutz-7's Uzi Baruch early this afternoon, "Was this a case of life and death?"
In measured tones, Rabbi Weiss responded, "I protest the tone of the question and [the way this story is presented]. Let's start with the fact that my Thursday and Friday were dedicated to a war that I waged on all levels for the sanctity of the Sabbath in the IDF, from the Chief of Staff and down through all levels of command involved in the Gush Katif checkpoints... On Thursday night, I had a long talk with Chief of Staff [Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz], and we came to the conclusion that the checkpoints around Gush Katif are in the category of 'obligatory operational activity.' ...
"Halutz presented me with intelligence information showing that there could be danger to life if these checkpoints were not manned. But at the same time, I spent the whole day making sure that there would be no Sabbath desecration, going over all the details of the day and what would happen - including making sure to bring food to the checkpoints beforehand and the like - with each one of the commanders, on all levels."
Q. "Could it be that they sold you a story just to get you to agree?"
A. (Clearly controlling himself) "I can't respond to this style of question. There is too much respect in the IDF for the Sabbath - especially since the mishap of the Sabbath evacuation of the Gilad outpost [in October 2002]..."
Q. "What have you to say to the religious soldiers who had to travel on the Sabbath to man checkpoints that are designed to keep people out of Gush Katif?"
A. "... The traveling on the Sabbath from Kibbutz Saad to the outposts was a foul-up, and was against the orders and against everything that we had agreed... Everything went according to plan, except for the commander of one unit, a certain Lt.-Col. whose name I won't mention. The Southern Region Commander told me that he personally will preside at this officer's trial. This was one bad foul-up, but it certainly doesn't reflect the entire situation."
MK Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, of the Religious Zionism Renewal Party, was next to speak on Arutz-7, and said, "I greatly admire Rabbi Weiss, and we are good friends [etc.], and I'm saddened that there were opposing rulings on the issue, by former Chief Rabbis Shapira and Eliyahu, and Rabbi Weiss. What is a religious soldier supposed to do in such a case? I call upon Rabbi Weiss to make sure that this doesn't happen again, because in the end, he's the one who loses... This was a big mishap - not only the fact that some soldiers traveled on Sabbath, which is a terrible thing in itself, but also that there were two different rulings. There will be many more questions of this nature, and he must consult with them; their doors are open to him."
Rabbi Weiss had told Baruch that he tried to speak with Rabbi Eliyahu on Friday, but "it didn't work out."
Click Here to Visit Gush Katif via Arutz-7's Interactive Map and Virtual Video