Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the Israel Defense Forces, the combined military forces of Israel.
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Breaking News IDF Revokes Exemptions of 4,000 Men Who Falsely Claimed Yeshiva Studies
JERUSALEM — The Israel Defense Forces has revoked exemptions to some 4,000 men who claimed they were yeshiva students. The men were found to be living a secular lifestyle or were not studying 45 hours per week at a yeshiva as required, Ynet reported, citing a senior official in the IDF’s Manpower Directorate. Some of the…
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Breaking News Israeli General Faces Double Rape Charge
JERUSALEM — An Israeli general was indicted in the rape and sexual assault of two female subordinates four months after his promotion to a prominent post was canceled over the accusations. Brig.-Gen. Ofek Buchris, 47, was indicted Thursday by the Military Advocate General for the sexual offenses allegedly committed between 2010 and 2012. In March,…
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Breaking News Israel Army Rabbi Calls Gays ‘Perverts’ — Says No Need To Prevent Civilian Deaths
A rabbi who heads a religious Zionist pre-military yeshiva in the West Bank has come under criticism for calling homosexuals “perverts” and claiming the Israeli army is promoting a socially liberal agenda. Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, who runs the Bnei David academy in the Eli settlement, also said last week at a conference — a video…
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News ‘Always Smiling’ and Dedicated to Israel, Soldier From New Jersey Killed in Grenade Blast
Sgt. Shlomo Rindenow, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from New Jersey killed in a grenade explosion in the Golan Heights on Sunday, was a “wonderful, funny, sweet kid who was always smiling,” according to a family friend. David Curwin, who lives in Efrat, said that Rindenow “was very proud that he came back here to serve in…
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Breaking News Lone Soldier From New Jersey Killed in Israel Grenade Blast
JERUSALEM — An American from New Jersey serving in the Israeli military was killed along with another IDF soldier when a grenade one of the soldiers was carrying exploded. The American-born lone soldier killed in the Sunday morning accident has been namedby the IDF as Sgt. Shlomo Rindenow, 20, a lone soldier from New Jersey who…
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Opinion Can You Spew Sexism and Homophobia and Still Be Rabbi for ‘Most Moral Army in the World’?
Another sexism scandal involving a male authority figure erupted in Israel on Monday, when it emerged that the army’s choice of new spiritual leader had previously implied that it was permissible for IDF soldiers to rape non-Jewish women during wartime. Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim is on his second round of scrutiny for this suggestion, which…
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Breaking News Trump Pledged Support to Friends of the IDF — Someone Else Paid
WASHINGTON — Someone else paid Donald Trump’s pledged contribution to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, according to the Washington Post. The Post reported Thursday that Trump promised the group a donation in 2007. FIDF spokesman Ryan Greiss told the newspaper that someone else made good on the pledge. Greiss would not identify the…
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Israel News Israel Demands Names of Soldiers Who Blew Whistle on Gaza ‘War Crimes’ to Breaking the Silence
Israel is trying to force a leading anti-occupation NGO to reveal the identities of the soldiers who testified to it about alleged military misconduct during the 2014 Gaza war — a move that the group says will effectively put it out of business. Government lawyers told a May 22 hearing that they need to question…
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