Defense minister okays IDF meeting with chief rabbi on women’s enlistment row

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman gives his blessing for the army’s top cleric to meet with Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef amid tensions caused by top rabbis who have spoken out against the integration of women into the armed forces.

The development comes after a previous planned meeting between Yosef and IDF Chief Rabbi Eyal Karim was canceled Sunday, reportedly at the orders of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

Liberman approved Karim to sit with Yosef so that the army rabbi could express the “displeasure of the minister and the IDF” at Yosef’s support for the chief rabbi of Safed, Shmuel Eliyahu, the ministry says in a statement.

Eliyahu had angered Liberamn by saying last week that army commander Eisenkot should be dismissed because he allows female soldiers to serve in combat units.