The Chief IDF Education Officer, Brig.-Gen. Eli Sharmeister, wrote a letter to IDF commanders in which he criticized the recent "Rabbis' letter" and "Rebbetzins' letter" as reflecting prejudice.
The first letter, which was signed by hundreds of rabbis, proclaims that Jews must not sell or rent out homes or land to Arabs, who are purposely invading Jewish towns for nationalistic motives and harassing Jews.
The second letter calls on young Jewish women not to work with or socialize with Arabs, and warns of the dire consequences of marrying Arabs, who are "sweet talkers" in the courtship phase but tend to abuse Jewish women once they have moved into their villages.
Sharmeister also mentioned the recent controversy around IDF conversions - as well as the criticism of hareidi-religious Jews by secular Jews.
"Maintaining the fabric of relations between residents of the Land from all streams and hues is essential to our existence and well-being, because representatives of all of these populaces serve in the IDF," he noted.
The officer who heads the Education Corps wrote that officers should not fear that by discussing these matters with soldiers, they are intervening in political matters. "It is our right and duty to fend for the dignity of the people people whom we live amongst. The IDF seeks to strengthen the Israeli factor and the common denominator between all who serve in it."