"Insulting and cursing soldiers considered physical assault"

Following the attack on the haredi soldiers, the chief intelligence officer, Brigadier General Eli Ben-Meir, met with a group of haredi soldiers serving in 'Bina Beyarok' and strongly protested.

Ben-Meir: "I met with the haredi soldiers and there they are very satisfied of all their needs, terms of service, professional training, and integrating into the different units. The commanders are in continuous contact with the soldiers, and there is great consideration towards them - among other things, in the food and lessons given to them.

"We are holding talks all the time with the soldiers, and this was an opportunity to talk to them about what they are going through and tell them that it will not repeat itself," Ben Meir explained the meeting. "There are mechanisms which are improving all the time. There are emergency numbers the soldiers can call throughout the day."

Referring to the specific problems of Haredi soldiers, and the need to walk around without uniforms, the officer stated: "There are challenges and special needs for soldiers in this population. I will not refer to the criminal channel, we handle a variety of problems of soldiers and we have a responsibility for everyone. We will try as much as our ability to make sure this does not become a phenomenon.

"Regarding the travel process in civilian clothes – this is being developed, many soldiers are traveling home with civilian clothes. In most of the units of the Intelligence motion in civilian clothes is unacceptable, we must know that this is military personnel. There are mechanisms to receive such an approval, and I'm making sure the soldiers know them and know how to perform the procedure, as I did yesterday. There is an appointed committee of the Personnel Directorate which examines the applications on their merits. We have prompted soldiers to avoid such situations and not walk around in certain places and at certain times. "

Finally, Ben Meir said: "Cursing and insults are as violent as physical assault. Every soldier has backing from the army, and there is a program that helps escort them later in life."

'Bina Beyarok' is a program that integrates haredim in the Intelligence, the program has a variety of training courses in computers such as QA programming, computing, software and hardware, network administrators and the like. Apart from their contribution to the IDF and the intelligence wing, the soldiers receive training which gives them the tools to integrate into occupational citizenship, as well as shelling and conditions according to their needs, such as increased number of staff at their disposal, Torah lessons and other adjustments.

Today the intelligence numbers about 300 graduates of Binah Beyarok in a range of units. The reserves array of the program has about 300 soldiers, officers and career soldiers. In addition there are about 120 permanent personnel and intelligence officers in the program of graduates serving in integral roles. Yesterday another 70 soldiers were recruited to the program.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!