The Pelegesh Yerushalmi

Despite the increasing number of women choosing to serve in the IDF, as per their draft obligations, and not take the exemption given to religious women, Rav Shomo Aviner remains steadfast in his opposition to women joining the army.
According to Rav Aviner it is absolutely prohibited for a woman to serve in the IDF as it is not tzanua and is therefore against halacha. Rav Aviner even says a non-religious woman who lies to get out of serving and says she is religious is doing the right thing - even though she isnt religious she still has to keep halacha and she can keep this one even if she isnt keeping others, and even if it is only to get out of the army, at worst it is a mitzva shelo lishma which is fine.
The most interesting part of Rav Aviner's steadfast opposition is his statement that women should refuse to serve, even if it means going to jail, and he quips that at least the jails are gender-separate!
source: Ynet
Rav Aviner has always been on this side of that debate, so this is nothing really new. It is interesting because of the trend of more and more women, even religious women, choosing to serve - even in combat units. And it is interesting because of him saying they should prefer jail over serving. This is actually a strange statement because they would never need to go to jail - if they are really religious, they would easily get the exemption if they do not want to serve and would never need to choose between serving and jail.
Despite it being strange, his statement is reminiscent of the position of the Peleg Yerushalmi people for men - better to go to jail than to serve (and even rather than just signing the paper to get out of serving). Maybe Rav Aviner can head the women's division of Peleg - what can we call it? Maybe Pelegesh? :-)
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