Military Rabbinate
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The Military Rabbinate is a unit in the Israel Defense Forces that provides religious services to soldiers, including non-Jews. The Military Rabbinate is headed by the Chief Military Rabbi, who is ranked a Brigadier General.
The Military Rabbinate is responsible for treating the bodies of soldiers from the Halakha standpoint, including the identifications and post-mortem treatment of bodies, and conducting military funerals. It also provides Kashrut services to military bases; makes decisions on issues of religion and military affairs; and attends to marriage and divorces of individuals during their military service. The Military Rabbinate thus constitutes the body responsible for religious institutions in the military. In every unit or military base there are Military Rabbinate soldiers responsible for religious services, and in particular, the Kashrut of the kitchen and the maintenance of the Bet Knesset. The Military Rabbinate also attends to the burial of enemy soldiers. Prior to the establishment of ZAKA, it was also responsible for treating the victims of suicide attack. More recently, it was placed in-charge of the evacuation of the cemetery in Gush Katif during the Gaza disengagement plan.
The Military Rabbinate was founded in 1948 by Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who headed it until 1968. Until 2000, the Chief Military Rabbi tended to remain in their positions for a considerable period of time. After Rabbi Goren, from 1968-1977, the Chief Military Rabbi was Rabbi Mordechai Peron. From 1977-2000, the position was held by Rabbi Gad Navon. From 2000-2006, the Chief Military Rabbi was Rabbi Israel Weis.
On February 16, 2006, the head of the Human Resources Directorate, Aluf Elazar Stern, announced that the new Chief Military Rabbi will be Colonel (Res.) Rabbi Avichai Rontzki who was then elevated to the rank of Brigadier-General. A recommendation by the Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, was passed to and approved by the then Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz. The new appointment took effect on March 27, 2006.
This new appointment was seen as a direct consequence of the controversial remarks by Israel Weis wherein he appeared to have agreed with the former Chief Ashkenazi National Authority of Religious Services Rabbi, Avraham Shapira, who called on soldiers who are religious Jews to disobey orders to forcefully remove settlers from the Gaza Strip during the Gaza disengagement plan. While Israel Weis retracted and apologized for the "slip up", the event drew a great deal of controversy in military circles and in Israel in general.
