Families of Armored Corps soldiers, along with activists from the organization "Wives of Warriors for the Sanctity of the Camp" from the "Chotam" organization, protested Friday morning during the conclusion ceremony of the Armored Corps "March for the Beret" at Latrun.
The protesters held signs reading, among other things: "Sanctity, professionalism, victory! Extreme feminism - not in tanks," and, "Armored Corps - not progressives!" They called to stop the integration of women into the Corps, stressing that the move undermines the values of the IDF and operational readiness.
According to the organizers, violence was used against some participants, and one protester was detained by the military police. The protesters said that the detained participant's phone was confiscated and the detention was carried out illegally.
Leading the protest was Clila Rachel Kalfon, the wife of an Armored Corps soldier who received his beret on Friday.
"My husband left a wife and infant daughter at home and went out to lend a hand in a Torah-commanded war, and we are all behind him," she said, stressing that she and other families attended the ceremony out of pride in their military service and security mission.
However, she added, "It is inconceivable that they should harm the values of the Jewish people, the sanctity of the camp, the value of victory, and the camaraderie in the tank. Anyone who cares about Israel's security must stop introducing foreign agendas into the IDF. It is unacceptable that in the Jewish state, the Chief of Staff and IDF will be forced to bring women into combat roles, while harming the IDF’s objectives and sanctity."
Kalfon also called on the Defense Minister, Chief of Staff, and Military Rabbinate to stop "the harm to the soldiers, the harm to the IDF, and the coercion."
The "Wives of Warriors for the Sanctity of the Camp" organization stated, "We are all proud warrior wives, our husbands have done and continue to do hundreds of days of reserve duty. The pilot programs integrating female soldiers into maneuvering forces have failed. The Armored Corps is not a summer camp. The exclusion of religious [male] soldiers will not lead to victory. We must not allow progressive organizations to harm the IDF and the soldiers."
