The struggle for a beard exemption for all has been fought for the past year for IDF soldiers and commanders around the military’s beard ordinance.
After a major campaign on social media and a mass funding project, we petitioned the Supreme Court against the illegal and denied policy of the IDF and the Chief of Staff to drastically and massively reduce the amount of beard permits throughout the army, to the point of almost completely revoking them.
The petition attacks the unlawful discrimination that this policy creates between secular soldiers and religious soldiers, and between conscripted soldiers and senior commanders.
Paypal: Link
IBAN: IL60 0109 4300 0000 3498 022
The majority of the IDF’s service members seek to grow a beard. The existing military ordinance permits the growth of a beard on religious, medical, and personal grounds (“identity, essence, and being”). In practice, it is extremely difficult to obtain a personal exemption, which creates severe discrimination in the IDF – the People’s Army.
Those who have already received the coveted exemption – suffer from frequent harassment by their commanders. The whole issue of the old man’s exemption in the IDF has come up a step and we are witnessing a series of arbitrary cancellations of the exemptions in the various units.
Our legal claims relate to a violation of the spirit of equality and fraternity in the IDF, as well as a serious violation of the basic law of Human Dignity and Liberty. Furthermore, the struggle claims that the IDF’s and the Chief of Staff’s preoccupation with beards undermines the soldiers’ motivation to serve, ultimately dropping their morale. This also creates unnecessary tension on the command avenue, and puts the question of personal example in question.
The IDF is required, according to its own policies, to allow any soldier who claims that his beard is a part of his identity and essence to grow his beard. In reality, though, the IDF does not follow its own policy, and thus, the personal beard exemption is very rare throughout the military, and in some places it is even impossible to get.
We love the army and our soldiers. Our hope is that our struggle will focus the IDF on fighting the real enemies and not its bearded soldiers.
In the petition to the Supreme Court of Israel, we argue against the unofficial and illegal policy of reducing the amount of beard exemptions given in the IDF to new recruits, as well as revoking existing exemptions. These actions discriminate between senior officers and conscripted soldiers, and between religious and secular soldiers. We argue that the IDF should allow any soldier, disregarding his rank or religious beliefs, to have a beard.
Gilad “The Bearded” Levy – Sergeant Major Res., Content creator, director of Israel’s national bearded community, 9th place in the World Championships for beards and mustaches.
Bar Pinto – Capt. Res., a Communication expert, leads social struggles.
Yochi Baruch – Deputy Res., Marketing woman, initiator of the struggle, mother of Oz, bearded soldier. During the 9 months in which her son was forced to shave, the issue of the old man’s exemption did not give her rest and she began a stubborn struggle for all the soldiers. For over a year now she has been advising and assisting soldiers and commanders in obtaining and maintaining their beard exemption.
The legal team – Nachmani-Bar Law Office, experts in military law with experience in petitions to the High Court and a deep understanding of the issue of exemption for the elderly in the IDF.
The legal battle will be led by:
Lt. Col. Adv. Efrat Nachmani-Bar – holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law with honors from Tel Aviv University. Owner and founder of the firm.
She has held a number of positions, including Deputy Chief Military Advocate and Military Prosecutor in a variety of senior positions.
Capt. Res. Adv. Lior Shtelzer – holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Bar Ilan University and a master’s degree with a specialization in criminal law from Tel Aviv University.
Has been involved in the fields of military law for about 13 years, of which he has served about 7 years in the military prosecutor’s office in a variety of positions.
In August 2015, Adv. Shtelzer filed a petition against the attempt to amend the IDF Elders Ordinance, following which the Supreme Court froze the ordinance processes in all military units.
Subsequently, the military authorities amended the ordinance in favor of the soldiers. At the same time, he founded the “Beard Growth in the IDF” group, which helped many soldiers receive and maintain their beard exemption.
Paypal: Link
IBAN: IL60 0109 4300 0000 3498 022
For more information, suggestions, and media interviews – Bar Pinto – +972-52-478-5348
