Arutz Sheva-Israel National learned new details on Wednesday evening regarding the incident that set off controversy in the Givati Brigade's Rotem Battalion after soldiers refused to board a Namer armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic.
According to a source with knowledge of the details, the company commander spoke with the soldiers and explained the operation's importance and urgency, but they persisted in their refusal.
According to the source, even the brigade's rabbi was involved in the matter and permitted the soldiers to conduct the operation in the presence of the female paramedic due to its importance and urgency.
The IDF stated that troops from the Rotem Battalion operating in the Gaza Strip were commanded overnight to conduct operational activity that included a patrol in a Namer APC. The military noted that in accordance with the Joint Service Order, soldiers who lead a religious lifestyle are entitled to carry out operational activities within a gender-based framework, barring exceptional instances.
"In the described case, the troops refused to conduct an operation, and therefore, it was canceled," the IDF stated. It further stated that the incident is under review.
The IDF views the incident as a refusal to obey orders, and according to details obtained by Arutz Sheva, disciplinary proceedings are expected to be held and command measures taken. This follows an earlier report stating that the soldiers had not yet faced disciplinary proceedings and that the incident was under review.
The incident began when three soldiers refused to board a Namer armored personnel carrier in which a female paramedic was present. According to sources familiar with the details, the other soldiers in the platoon were then asked whether any of them were willing to board the vehicle with her, and the soldiers claimed that none agreed.
Arutz Sheva has learned that Rabbi Tzvi Kostiner, head of the Mitzpe Ramon Yeshiva, and Rabbi Shlomo Shushan, head of the Beit She'an Yeshiva, whose students serve in the platoon, instructed their students not to enter the vehicle.
The Union of Hesder Yeshivas announced that it supports the soldiers, stating: "The Union emphasizes that the soldiers acted in accordance with the Joint Service Order, and the IDF is expected to uphold and respect the order and allow a soldier who observes Jewish law to serve in accordance with his beliefs. Accordingly, there is obviously no justification for punishing soldiers who acted in accordance with the order."