Weaponising Faith

How the IDF Rewrites Religion to Indoctrinate Soldiers

In the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), religion has become a strategic tool, wielded not for spiritual guidance but for ideological conditioning. Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, a prominent critic of Zionism and author of The Empty Wagon, has long argued that the IDF’s use of religious texts is not about faith but about fashioning a nationalist, militaristic identity. The results of this ideological project are evident in the behaviour of IDF soldiers today—in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria—and they raise urgent questions about the ethics of blending faith with militarism.

The IDF’s Ideological Mission

David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, famously referred to the IDF as the “school of the nation.” For Ben-Gurion, the military was more than a defensive force; it was the crucible for creating the “new Jew,” stripped of the supposed frailties of diaspora life. This vision, as Rabbi Shapiro points out, required not just physical training but an ideological rebirth. Religious texts were reinterpreted to align with the state’s nationalist agenda, erasing the traditional diaspora-based identity of Judaism and replacing it with one centred on Zionist ideals.

Today, the IDF distributes religious materials to its soldiers that are deliberately tailored to promote loyalty to the state over devotion to God. Torah passages are selectively highlighted to glorify military conquest, while centuries of rabbinic interpretation emphasising humility, peace, and moral responsibility are ignored. This practice not only distorts Judaism but also weaponises it, transforming it into a tool of state propaganda.

Nurit Peled-Elhanan: The Roots of Indoctrination

The indoctrination doesn’t begin with the IDF; it starts much earlier, in the Israeli education system. Nurit Peled-Elhanan, an Israeli academic and author of Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education, has meticulously documented how Israeli textbooks prepare children for a life of militarism and dehumanization of Palestinians. These textbooks portray Palestinians as threats, erasing their history and framing the conflict as a righteous struggle for survival.

Peled-Elhanan’s research reveals how this narrative lays the groundwork for the IDF’s ideological conditioning. By the time Israeli youth enter the military, they have already internalised a worldview in which violence against Palestinians is justified, even virtuous. The IDF builds on this foundation, using religious texts to sanctify military service and vilify the enemy. This continuum of indoctrination—from the classroom to the battlefield—ensures that soldiers see their actions not as moral choices but as divine imperatives.

Faith in the Service of Violence

The effects of this ideological project are starkly visible in the actions of IDF soldiers. In Gaza, the IDF’s military campaigns have repeatedly drawn international condemnation for their genocidal brutality. High numbers of civilian casualties, including women and children, are often dismissed as collateral damage in a “holy” struggle. In Lebanon and Syria, IDF operations have similarly been marked by disproportionate force and a complete disregard for international law and the Geneva Convention.

These actions cannot be separated from the ideological conditioning soldiers receive. When religious texts are twisted to portray military service as a sacred duty, the moral barriers to committing war crimes and atrocities are significantly lowered. Soldiers are not merely following orders; they are fulfilling what they have been made to believe to be a divine mission.

The Psychological Toll

The manipulation of religion for militaristic purposes also has profound psychological consequences for soldiers. Many IDF veterans have spoken out about the moral injuries they suffered during their service. Breaking the Silence, an organisation of former IDF soldiers, has collected testimonies detailing the psychological toll of actions they were ordered to carry out. These accounts often reveal a deep conflict between their indoctrinated beliefs and the reality of their experiences.

Rabbi Shapiro warns that this ideological distortion not only harms the soldiers but also undermines the spiritual integrity of Judaism itself. By subordinating faith to the state, the IDF risks erasing the moral and ethical teachings that have sustained Judaism for centuries.

Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria: A Case Study in Ideological Consequences

The IDF’s behaviour in recent conflicts provides a grim case study in the consequences of this ideological project. In Gaza, operations such as “Protective Edge” and “Pillar of Defence,” not to mention the current slaughter, have been characterised by indiscriminate bombings and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. Human rights organisations have documented many instances where IDF soldiers committed war crimes with apparent impunity, their actions justified by the narrative of a righteous struggle.

In Lebanon, the 2006 war and now in late 2024, we saw similar tactics, with widespread destruction and a high civilian death toll. In Syria, IDF airstrikes continue to violate international law, targeting not only military installations but also civilian areas. These actions are not aberrations; they are the logical outcome of an ideological system that sanctifies violence as a means to achieve nationalist goals.

The Broader Implications

The IDF’s ideological conditioning has implications beyond Israel’s borders. It sets a dangerous precedent for how states can manipulate religion to justify violence and suppress dissent. It also raises troubling questions about the international community’s complicity. Western nations, particularly the United States, provide billions of dollars in military aid to Israel each year, effectively endorsing these practices.

Moreover, the IDF’s model of ideological conditioning is increasingly being studied and emulated by other militaries. The global rise of ethno-nationalism has created fertile ground for similar projects, where religion and nationalism are fused to justify violence against perceived enemies.

A Call to Reevaluate

The fusion of faith and militarism in the IDF demands urgent reevaluation. Rabbi Shapiro’s critique and Peled-Elhanan’s research offer a blueprint for understanding how this system operates and its devastating consequences. But understanding alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by action.

Human rights organisations, religious leaders, and educators must work together to challenge the narratives that underpin this system. International bodies must hold Israel accountable for its actions and reconsider the role of foreign aid in perpetuating these practices. Within Israel, voices like Rabbi Shapiro’s must be amplified, offering an alternative vision of Judaism that prioritises peace, humility, and moral responsibility over nationalist fervour.

Conclusion

The IDF’s use of religious texts to indoctrinate its soldiers represents a profound distortion of Judaism and a dangerous blending of faith and militarism. As Rabbi Shapiro and Nurit Peled-Elhanan have shown, this system not only dehumanises Palestinians but also erodes the spiritual foundations of Judaism itself. The consequences of this ideological project are visible in the actions of IDF soldiers today, and they demand a critical and collective response.

The question is not just about the future of Judaism or the state of Israel but about the broader moral implications of weaponising faith in the service of violence. It is a question that demands an answer—and soon.