In contrast to the ruling by former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira and other Torah scholars, there are prominent rabbis who have expressed their opposition to soldiers disobeying orders instructing them to remove Jews from their homes, as called for under Prime Minister Sharon's Disengagement Plan.
One such leading rabbinical figure is Rabbi Shlomo Aviner of Beit El, who makes a distinction between a sin such as desecrating the Sabbath, which a soldier must refuse to do for non-military purposes, and uprooting Jewish communities. The former is an individual sin, Rabbi Aviner said, while the latter is a sin by the polity, for which the soldiers following military orders are not liable. Speaking with IDF Radio earlier this month, Rabbi Aviner explained that current government "disengagement" policies are in direct contradiction to the Torah.
The Chief Rabbi of the town of Efrat in Gush Etzion, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, has announced he remains an opponent of the Gaza withdrawal plan, but also opposes calls instructing soldiers to disobey orders. Rabbi Riskin, who also serves as dean of the Ohr Stone Academy educational network, supports a national referendum on the Disengagement Plan.
Joining in his viewpoint are Rabbis Yoel Bin-Nun, Aaron Lichtenstein, and Yehuda Amital. The latter two are well-known Torah scholars and teachers who also have a significant following. Rabbi Bin-Nun, the former spiritual leader of the community of Ofrah, is a veteran public personality in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, known for his relatively dovish viewpoints.
Most of the rabbis fear that calls for insubordination may lead to a breakdown of the IDF and of Zionism, with Rabbi Riskin explaining there are precedents for relinquishing land mentioned in the Talmud.
One such leading rabbinical figure is Rabbi Shlomo Aviner of Beit El, who makes a distinction between a sin such as desecrating the Sabbath, which a soldier must refuse to do for non-military purposes, and uprooting Jewish communities. The former is an individual sin, Rabbi Aviner said, while the latter is a sin by the polity, for which the soldiers following military orders are not liable. Speaking with IDF Radio earlier this month, Rabbi Aviner explained that current government "disengagement" policies are in direct contradiction to the Torah.
The Chief Rabbi of the town of Efrat in Gush Etzion, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, has announced he remains an opponent of the Gaza withdrawal plan, but also opposes calls instructing soldiers to disobey orders. Rabbi Riskin, who also serves as dean of the Ohr Stone Academy educational network, supports a national referendum on the Disengagement Plan.
Joining in his viewpoint are Rabbis Yoel Bin-Nun, Aaron Lichtenstein, and Yehuda Amital. The latter two are well-known Torah scholars and teachers who also have a significant following. Rabbi Bin-Nun, the former spiritual leader of the community of Ofrah, is a veteran public personality in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, known for his relatively dovish viewpoints.
Most of the rabbis fear that calls for insubordination may lead to a breakdown of the IDF and of Zionism, with Rabbi Riskin explaining there are precedents for relinquishing land mentioned in the Talmud.