IDF conflict • Haredi soldier sent to jail for wearing tzitzit

Haredi soldier sent to ten days in prison, because of his insistence not to remove the tzitzit from his body, according to his family. IDF spokesman denied the incident.

E. S. a Chabad Hasid soldier and resident of Kiryat Malachi, joined two weeks ago and was sent to basic training at Golani Brigade (Brigade training base).

The soldier was sent to a military prison after his family claimed, refused to remove his woolen tzitzit.

One of his friends told B'Chadrei Charedim that the soldier was attached to operations in preparation for the Bar Ohr test (fitness test) at the base, the activity that takes place once every three weeks or so.

Religious company commander, made sure that during training in hot conditions, the soldiers do not wear more than two layers of clothing because of the risk of dehydration.
The commander ordered the soldier to remove the woolen tzitzit on his body, or alternatively remove another layer of clothing. The soldier explained to the officer that he could not remove the tzitzit and not the undershirt because according to custom he has to wear an extra layer which divides between his body and the tzitzit.

According to his family, the soldier was sent to trial for refusing orders to the commander of the regiment, where he was sentenced to ten days incarceration, to the military prison, Nefach in the Golan Heights.

He said to his family, "I will go to prison with pride, and I won't remove my tzitzit."

However sources familiar with the case denied the claims, saying that the soldier was sent to this jail because he cursed and threatened the battalion commander during the debate. "Although there was a debate on the subject," they said, "but that's no reason to send a soldier to jail. Problem was that during the debate the soldier threatened the commander."

The soldier's friend M. explained during a conversation with B'Chadrei Charedim: "in my case I had no problems with my tzitzit," adding, "I personally I have never heard that officers and commanders have made problems for soldiers for tzitzit at Bar Ohr."

IDF spokesman: "a comprehensive investigation conducted revealed that the details are incorrect, for reasons of privacy we will not list the case of the soldier in question."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!