In comparison to previous years, fewer care about what international law would have to say about it.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

An annual survey of Israeli Jews’ view of the IDF published Monday shows that a majority of Israelis believe a harsher stance must be taken against terrorists.

In comparison to previous years, fewer care about what international law would have to say about it.

The poll, taken mid-month by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), compared respondents’ opinions from 2018 to 2022 on the issue. In that intervening period, Israel has been pummeled by thousands of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip and suffered through several months-long rounds of terror attacks where Palestinians have knifed, gunned down, or rammed cars into random Israeli civilians on the street.

Jews in mixed cities also experienced severe rioting by their Arab neighbors during last year’s Operation Guardian of the Walls which left three dead, dozens injured, and massive damage caused to their personal property.

The majority, 55%, now support killing a terrorist even after he poses no further threat, when only 37% agreed with the idea four years ago. Support for the IDF directing heavy fire at Palestinian populations centers – “to burn into their minds the price of Palestinian organizations provoking Israel” with their violence – also rose from 27.5% in 2018 to 45.5%.

In addition, the majority jumped from 63% to 71% in the public’s support for the death penalty for terrorists convicted of killing Israelis.

At the same time, the percentage of those who said that the IDF should ensure it was obeying international law on war when planning military operations plummeted from 80% to 63%. A large majority (77%) held steady that the army acts morally during war.

While 71% gave the IDF high marks for its military capability, the respondents were less satisfied with the army’s care for its troops’ welfare.

Only 32% thought the army was doing a good or excellent job in caring for the soldiers’ physical health, with 56% giving it a medium or poor grade. The numbers were far worse regarding treatment for psychological issues, with only 16% saying the IDF was doing a good job and 41% giving the IDF a strong thumbs down.

In the 18-24-year-old bracket, the very negative opinions jumped to 48% and 49% on those two respective medical issues. Food was an even redder light for this age group, which serves most in the IDF, with a full 53% giving the army a failing grade on what they are given for sustenance.

Travel was a sore point as well, though less so, with 41% saying the IDF was doing a poor job helping them get to their bases after furloughs.

The respondents were also asked about two burning issues in Israeli society today – the drafting of haredim (ultra-Orthodox), and women in the army.

Regarding women, 72% of those self-defining as secular supported female service in combat units, while only a bare majority of traditional Jews (52%) agreed. The numbers plunged in the national-religious and haredi sectors (19% and 17% respectively), leading to an overall approval rate at 54%.

Respondents were asked if they support the newest law on the table in the Knesset that exempts men from army service if thay had studied Torah full time until age 22. While 49% either strongly or partially opposed the law, 40.5% supported it at least somewhat and 10.5% said they didn’t know.

Another aspect of the draft was also queried – whether there should be one at all.  The numbers of those supporting the idea of turning the IDF into a professional army (such as in the U.S.) have grown over the last five years from 38% to 47%.

This does not tell the whole story, however, since a breakdown by age shows that a solid majority (57%) of those aged 25-34 (the most active reservists), as well as 51% of those aged 18-24 – most draftees – and in the 35-54 age group, want to get rid of the draft. Opposition to the idea over the years has also shrunk from 59% to 41% of the population.

The IDI poll was conducted online and by phone among 805 men and women above age 18.

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Chief Rabbinate receives request to include female soldiers specifically in prayer for Israel’s security forces.

By World Israel News Staff

Yuval Peleg, whose granddaughter is newly enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently requested that the “Prayer for Members of the Israel Defense Forces” specifically include female soldiers.

The prayer is said in many congregations on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.

“It is inconceivable that when, God forbid, they fall, they are referred to specifically, but when alive they are not,” Peleg wrote, according to Maariv.

Hebrew grammar distinguishes gender. For example, male soldiers are called “chayalim” and female soldiers are called “chayalot.” The masculine tense may also include both men and women.

The soldiers’ prayer presently uses the word “chayalei,” which includes both male and female soldiers. Peleg is asking for the gender specific “chayalot” to be added to the prayer. Although the way the prayer is written now the male tense is also not specifically included.

The original prayer for IDF soldier welfare was compiled by Rabbi Shlomo Goren when he was chief rabbi of the IDF and Israel during its infancy.

This is not the first time that changes to the soldiers’ prayer have been made.

During the Second Intifada, 2000-2005, it was expanded to include “all security forces.”

Then, in 2017, Israel Police Rabbi Rahamim Berachyahu requested and received approval from Chief Rabbi David Lau to add the words “Israel Police officers” to the prayer.

At the time, Rabbi Berachyah said that police men and women protect Israel’s citizens every day of the year, just like Israel’s soldiers, and should be recognized as such.

“In fact, the vast majority of terror victims killed since the start of the current intifada in 2015 were in uniform – either IDF soldiers, or, more commonly, Israel Police and Border Police officers,” reported Arutz 7 in 2017. “As a result, the need to change the prayer became obvious and urgent.”

The prayer presently said is:

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, the officers of the Israel Police, and those who serve in Israeli security forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He lead our enemies under our soldiers’ sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you. And let us say, Amen.

Peleg’s appeal moved from the IDF to the Prime Minister’s Office and then to Chief Rabbi Lau.

“We have forwarded your request to the office of the Chief Rabbinate for the subject to be discussed,” Rabbi Lau informed Peleg.

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