Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of Religious Zionism, was asked at a faction meeting about his position on the controversy over service in mixed units in the IDF and whether he supports conscripting women into the army.
The minister replied: "I think that mixed units are bad for professional reasons - they create a bad atmosphere and harm the professionalism of the IDF. There is no dispute about that in my opinion. To go and put them in tanks now, to mix the sexes, it seems delusional. Regardless of the religious place. That is my position, but I don't tell people what to do.".
Smotrich added: "I think that women fighting in the army is not right - but whoever thinks, okay, the army allows it.".
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He emphasized: "My position stems from religious, faith-based, and professional reasons, and I know there are those who think differently from me. Everyone will do what is best for them.".
He said, "If my daughter asks, I will try to educate her not to go there, because the Chief Rabbinate is opposed and because this is the position of my gentlemen. I hope the big liberals will respect that. I respect anyone who thinks differently from me.".
MK Ram Ben Barak of the Yesh Atid party reacted angrily on social media - and launched into a rebellion against the rabbis: "I call on the daughters of religious Zionism - don't listen to your rabbis, don't listen to your Knesset members.".
Ben Barak added: "Enlist and be Lieutenant Colonel Uri Ben Yehuda. This is the example, not Smotrich. If everyone does what is best for them and thinks only of themselves, then we can close the gap.".
He slammed Smotritz: "You, for example, really did what was best for you. You didn't enlist and studied law. A proper Zionist act. Zero in personal example. Zionists, Alak.".
