Personal acquaintance as a means of Identification of IDF fallen: Halakha and reality in the Swords of Iron war (2023–2024)
Abstract
This study presents the practical challenges involved in the implementation of personal identification in the IDF: both in the context of the mental injuries that may be inflicted on soldiers who identify and on the members of the military Rabbinate, vis-à-vis the faster and more accurate alternative of fingerprints, and in the context of the systemic importance of empowering the role and status of the unit rabbi, as a relevant factor in the fighting units of the IDF. These challenges require a case-by-case examination of each identification in the light of the benefits and costs that may accrue from it.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies
Jewish Identity and Society
War
Law
and Justice
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Israel Affairs
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 436–457
- Publication date
- 8 February 2026
- Language
- EN