Israeli soldiers granted freedom to wear beards without red tape
The Israel Defense Forces have allowed all their soldiers to wear beards without needing special permission as of Wednesday. Previously, soldiers had to obtain exemptions for facial hair, a process some Jewish members viewed as discriminatory.
The Israel Defense Forces announced that, from now on, all soldiers can wear beards without needing special permissions. The prior system of granting individual exemptions from the shaving requirement was seen by some Jews as discriminatory.
In Judaism, wearing a beard has deep religious roots, stemming from the commandments of the Torah. The Torat Lechima organization, which advocated for the regulatory change, expressed its satisfaction with this decision.
"After many years of struggle, we succeeded, with divine assistance, and under the leadership of our tireless colleague MK Keti Shitrit, in making an historic and significant correction that will put an end to the bizarre persecution of soldiers who want to grow beards," the organization stated in a declaration.
Bearded soldiers in the Israeli army
According to the new guidelines, any soldier, regardless of their religious beliefs, can wear a beard, provided it is neat and compliant with regulations. This is a significant change intended to improve soldiers' comfort during service in the army.
Additionally, small changes regarding the appearance of women in the army have been introduced. The new rules allow nail polish in a wider range of colours beyond the previous palette, which included only black and pink.
