Picture of Maj. Gen. Orna Babibay erased from ultra-Orthodox paper

The face of the head of Human Resources for the IDF was completely erased, while her body remained on a Knesset panel discussion the Tal Law.

25/01/2012 15:25

Tags: Tal Law · Army Exemptions · Ultra-Orthodox in the army · Israeli Army · Army and gender · Gender discrimination · Uri Regev

The ultra-Orthodox news site “Lada’at” (To Know) published an article Monday about the Knesset subcommittee on Foreign Affairs and Defense and their discussion of the Tal Law, which was meant to provide access to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students to do a modified form of army or civil service. The article contained a picture of the committee, among them Maj. Gen. Orna Barbibay. Barbibay sat next to committee chairman, MK Shaul Mofaz and MK Yohanan Plesner.

“Lada’at” chose to completely erase Maj. Gen. Barbibay’s picture from the panel because their newspaper has a policy of showing no pictures of women for reasons of “modesty”.

Hiddush President, Rabbi Uri Regev, said “Ultra-Orthodox media proves once again that they have no idea what’s going on in Israel. In spite of everything they’d like to see, the head of Human Resources for the IDF is, in fact, a woman, and women do, in fact, serve in the IDF. No technological trick will change this reality.

In spite of everything they’d like to see, the head of Human Resources for the IDF is, in fact, a woman, and women do, in fact, serve in the IDF.

Ironically, in the committee meeting itself, Barbibay spoke about the importance of recruitment. Said Barbibay that the security situation requires that “all citizens enlist in a meaningful army service.”

The head of National Service remarked that today there are around 3,514 yeshiva students in national service. According to the data presented at the meeting, in the six years since the Tal Law has been in effect, 10,000 ultra-Orthodox students have joined either army or civil service,, that previously studied full-time in yeshivas.

Chairman of the committee on Foreign Relations and Security, MK Mofaz said “We cannot accept a reality that the IDF will not longer be the army of the people, but rather the army of the minority--an army of only half the population...there has been a sub-culture of service created. The tables have turned, and army evasion is the norm. Service will become the exception.” Mofaz demanded a change to the Tal Law and said “We must return Israel to herself and establish a new model of elistment on the basis of universal service.”

See the picture and article in “Lada’at”