Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., October 24, 2008 Tishrei 25, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:08 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Peres Center Travel Week's End Anglo File

Army values / IDF infiltrator? By Amos Harel A small culture war has been going on for the past few months right under the nose of Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. IDF Chief Rabbi, Brig. Gen. Rabbi Avichai Ronski, and his troops have gone on the attack, and as is almost always the case in such instances, those who are supposed to bear legal responsibility, in this case the Education Corps, are losing the battle over values. An old military adage says an officer who wants to get ahead should never get into trouble in three areas: Women, money and religion. It turns out the chief of staff, who is no longer in need of promotion, was needed to put an end to the change. This is exactly what Ashkenazi decided to do, at least according to the IDF spokesman's response to Haaretz. The penny dropped. The head of the Manpower Branch will now examine why the Rabbinate invaded the Education Corps sector, without bothering to coordinate with them. Advertisement The real mover behind the power grab is Lt. Col. Zadok Ben-Artzi, the head of the Jewish Awareness department. His friends say he has a feeling of being on a "continual divine mission," though Ronski's role in all this is not clear: Does he not care, does he avoid knowing, or is he cooperating fully with the most enthusiastic of his subordinates? Part of the problem with supervising the Military Rabbinate is its amorphous set of rules. The chief military rabbi does not report to the head of the Manpower Branch but is only required to "coordinate" with it. The Planning Branch is responsible for the Rabbinate's budget. What does this all mean? No one really knows. Officially, the chief military rabbi reports directly to the chief of staff, but how much time and energy does the chief of staff, or his bureau, have for the Rabbinate? That is why it is no wonder Ben-Artzi can ignore orders and tell his officers, "we are continuing as usual," after receiving contrary orders. These battles are being fought while in the background a major demographic change is taking place in the IDF: Over a third of the combat officers in the lower ranks are religious. The IDF is actually more open to Jewish values than in the past, even after it threw out Lubavitch Hasidim from its bases over 10 years ago. But the processes Ronski and Ben-Artzi are igniting seem to be a a worrying attempt to destroy the status quo. Only intervention by Ashkenazi can stop this and get the Rabbinate into perspective. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Palin as Olmert? Free flights and life of luxury characterize both the VP hopeful and our outgoing PM 'Hit a Jew Day' St. Louis middle school students face punishment over spirit week game gone bad

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