Defense Minister Benny Gantz has picked Maj. Gen. Herzl (Herzi) Halevi to serve as the 23rd commander of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). If approved by the government, Halevi, 54, would become the first religious IDF chief in Israeli history, albeit without the distinctive head covering, the kippa, worn by many observant Jews. In fact, he is a member of a growing sector loosely described as “invisible” kippa wearers who observe religious strictures but without the dress code.
Halevi has solid religious Zionist credentials being a scion of the rabbinical dynasty founded by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kuk, considered the spiritual leader of historic religious Zionism. But Halevi is far removed from modern-day religious Zionism and the evolution of the historic Religious Zionism party, currently led by ultra-right Knesset member Bezalel Smotrich. Its sister party, Jewish Power (the two parties will run on one ticket in the upcoming November election), is led by Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir, a disciple of racist American-Israeli Rabbi Meir Kahane.
