Following an uproar, the IDF reversed its decision Wednesday and will allow Hesder soldiers in the Golani Brigade to leave a memorial ceremony before women begin singing, hours after they were initially told they could not skip any portion of the event for religious reasons, Arutz Sheva reported.

Under the revised arrangements, Hesder soldiers will be seated at the edge of the stands and permitted to leave in an orderly manner before the women’s singing begins. The Hesder platoon will also be exempt from participating in the honor guard, and a planned female solo performance has been canceled.

Women will appear on stage alongside men only during the singing of “Hatikvah” at the conclusion of the ceremony, as part of a general performance involving all participants.

The changes were approved by the commander of the Golani Training Base following efforts by the base’s rabbi, Capt. Rabbi Uri Levy.

The reversal came just hours after Rabbi Levy informed soldiers that the IDF’s Joint Service regulations did not allow them to skip an official state ceremony because of women singing or their religious observance.

Following the reversal, the “Wives of Soldiers for the Kedushas HaMachaneh” organization welcomed the change but called for the accommodation to be extended to all religious soldiers.

“This is the beginning of a tikkun,” the organization said. “It is important to allow every soldier to maintain his way of life, not only Hesder soldiers.”

“The IDF is a Jewish army, and the kedushas hamachaneh is a fundamental value that is the responsibility of the Military Rabbinate and commanders.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)