"The Rise of Israel's Military Rabbis"

[Adsos Letter]

Source: BBC
Katya Adler
BBC Newsnight, Israel

Israel's army is changing. Once proudly secular, its combat units are now filling with those who believe Israel's wars are "God's wars".

Military rabbis are becoming more powerful. Trained in warfare as well as religion, new army regulations mean they are now part of a military elite.

They graduate from officer's school and operate closely with military commanders. One of their main duties is to boost soldiers' morale and drive, even on the front line.

This has caused quite some controversy in Israel. Should military motivation come from men of God, or from a belief in the state of Israel and keeping it safe?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8232340.stm

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This is a long article, including two videos.

[Adsos Letter]

1. Mods, this is a dupe and should be deleted; I didn't see the earlier post.

[pelsar]

2. gotta love that gaza pullout...so good for dubunking myths...

its was in the gaza pullout where the religious soldiers had to chose...army orders which said evacuate, or the rabbis who said no........

they overwhelming chose to follow the army orders...

and a fun fact...many young men go in to the army as religious..meet the secular and dump the religion as see what they've been missing... (some go back to a degree when they make a family etc...)

I assume the next step for the rabbis will be an attempt to make "all religious units".......

[Howardx]

3. its not a theocracy

its not a theocracy

[LeftishBrit]

4. No. Though there are undoubtedly some people who would like it to be.

Just as people like Pat Robertson would like America to be a theocracy. That doesn't mean that it is.