The National Religious party (Mafdal) will not put up with an Education Ministry cut in 630 national service positions for religious girls. So said Mafdal Knesset member Zevulun Orlev today. Orlev demanded that the Education Ministry revoke its decision to cut back on the national service positions. The Mafdal sees the option of national service, often selected by women who object to military service for religious reasons, as equivalent to serving in the IDF; therefore, Orlev said, “There must be absolute equality between the right of a girl to enlist in the IDF and the right of a religious girl to volunteer for national service.” Just as the budgetary cutbacks would not affect the number of female soldiers, so, too, they should not affect the number of national service positions, according to the Mafdal.