YONHAP NEWS

(Yonhap Interview) Israeli military's top rabbi stresses role of religion on battlefield

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- Israel is a small country but it has built a strong military through professional training and religious programs that motivate its soldiers, the country's top military chaplain said.

Brig. Gen. Avi Ronzki

"In the Israeli army, the spiritual side is very significant component in the matter of strength," Brig. Gen. Avi Ronzki, chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said in an interview last week.

   Ronzki, who commanded a paratrooper unit in the 1970s, made his first-ever trip here to attend an international chaplains' forum.

   "It is very important in our army that soldiers understand why they fight," he said. "The combination of the professional side of the army and the spiritual values can contribute to the success of the army."
Like South Korea, Israel has mandatory military service. All eligible men and women in the Middle Eastern country are drafted at the age of 18, with men serving for three years and women serving for 21 months.

   For the Israeli people, he emphasized, war is not about conquering any other nation but about survival. Israel's population of about 7.2 million is smaller than that of Seoul.

   He recalled the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and a coalition of Arab states, when he saw many of his comrades fall in battle.

   "There was a great fear that our country was in a situation of danger that it never faced before. It made us think that the Jewish people were facing annihilation," he said. "In terms of religion, it was a very clear understanding of why we fight."
He said his war experience was behind the decision to become a rabbi.

   "It came from the responsibility that you have as a commander to lead soldiers in war in which soldiers are killed," said the 56-year-old with a full white beard.

   Ronzki re-enlisted one-and-a-half years ago and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general as the chief rabbi of the IDF.

   Rabbis do various types of work to facilitate all aspects of Jewish life within Israel's military, including services to ensure that all food is prepared according to Jewish law and that soldiers who fall in the line of duty receive a proper burial.

   It is not easy to become a chaplain in the IDF. More than 200 rabbis applied earlier this year but only 17 passed, according to Ronzki. He said there are now 150 rabbis in active service.

   Ronzki said Israel and South Korea have much in common in that they both faced attacks in the past and still face threats from neighboring countries.

   Turning to recent developments, he expressed gratitude for South Korea's dispatch of 350 troops to Lebanon as part of international peacekeeping forces.

   "The Israel Defense Forces greatly appreciate the contribution of the Korean army and its readiness to bring peace in the Middle East," he said. "We believe that a strong peace force in Lebanon that contributes to stability and peace there helps bring stability and peace with Israel."
"We are committed to assist this force, and we are doing everything to ensure the security of the Korean soldiers," he said.

   Regarding other issues, the chief rabbi said conscientious objection to military service is not common in his country. "Most of the people in Israel see service in the army as a necessity in order to ensure their own life. Therefore this situation is not very common yet," Ronzki said.

   In South Korea, hundreds of men refuse to join the military each year due to their religious beliefs, but recently the government announced a plan to allow conscientious objectors to opt for community service instead.

   "We have to set alternatives for those who refuse to serve due to their conscience - service in the community - so they will be able to serve the nation and the country in other ways that suit their conscience and will allow them to make a contribution for the sake of the future of the nation," the chief rabbi said.

   lcd@yna.co.kr
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