The Hesder Yeshiva Association announced a halt to the recruitment of students for the regular security ships due to the deployment of a frigate to the navy fleet at the Ashdod base: “This makes it difficult for religious soldiers to serve in the formation”
The placement of a frigate in the navy fleet at the Ashdod base threatens the recruitment of students of the Hesder yeshiva to the regular security ships in the navy – as reported this week in “time”.
In recent days, the Hesder yeshiva union informed the commander of the naval arm, Major General David Selma, that he had decided to stop the recruitment of yeshiva students since a woman had been assigned to the formation.
The union, which represents the yeshivas and includes their heads as well as prominent rabbis from religious Zionism, claim that placing a frigate on one of the battleships turns the voyage into a mixed unit for women and men and that this supposedly makes it harder for religious soldiers to serve in the formation.
According to the report in “time”, the chief military rabbi, Brigadier General Rabbi Eyal Karim, was asked about the decision to stop the recruitment of students for the fleet and confirmed the statements. He added that the decision was made after “they integrated an officer there contrary to the agreement”.
Squadron 916 of the Navy is located as mentioned at the Ashdod base and is responsible for the southern maritime sector and guarding Israel’s maritime border. The men and women of the fleet have participated in all the recent rounds of fighting in the Gaza Strip as well as in special operations led by the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces against attempts to infiltrate Israel and attempts to smuggle illegal weapons into Gaza.