Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu
Rabbi Shmuel EliyahuNerya Levy

The Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, is not upset by the decision not to promote Brigadier General Ofer Winter to senior positions in the IDF.

"It's not surprising that he was blocked for promotion; it is not only his promotions that are stopped, but all religious officers are prevented from reaching the General Staff where decisions are made. Those who look at the Chief of Staff's decisions see they have a guideline from Day 1. I don't know what motivates him to fight the traditional soldiers," said Rabbi Eliyahu in an interview with Arutz Sheva.

Rabbi Eliyahu wonders why the Chief of Staff behaves this way: "Why fight against every hint of religion? Why weaken kashrut, the military rabbis, and the pre-military preparatory programs? Why are you fighting your best soldiers? After all, we must remember that at Training Base Din 1, almost half of the cadets are religious."

Rabbi Eliyahu also has a solution to the echoing question. "The answer to all this is the unfortunate decision to allow left-wing organizations of different shades to be the ones responsible for IDF values and to deliver officer education programs. They systematically apply all the values ​​of the left and the 'terrible danger of the religious.' We see the result now.

"The IDF shouldn't be a body that fights half its soldiers, the traditional and the religious. I call upon the Prime Minister and all ministers to stop and say to the Chief of Staff - the IDF isn't a tool in your hands to instill leftist values," concludes Rabbi Eliyahu.

צה"ל לא צריך להילחם במחצית מחייליואלירן אהרון