Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the Israel Defense Forces, the combined military forces of Israel.
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Life This Young Woman Battled the Israeli Army to Become a Combat Soldier
A conversation with 20-year old Eden Levy at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport: Hi, can I ask why you’re traveling? I start my army service next week, and I’ve been living at home for the last while. I’m flying now so that I can take a little break with my sister before I come back to…
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Breaking News IDF Razes Homes of Sarona Market Attackers
JERUSALEM — The West Bank homes of the two terrorists who killed four Israelis in a shooting attack on the popular Sarona Market in Tel Aviv were demolished. The Israel Defense Forces razed the Hebron-area homes of cousins Mohammed Mahamra and Khaled Mahamra on Wednesday night using bulldozers and explosives. They reportedly did not meet…
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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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