The Tzav Echad organization reports that the IDF is ignoring the Joint Service Order promoted by former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and that a clash between the army and religious soldiers has been created.
The Order obliges military authorities to ask any religious soldier (except for an officer or NCO) before being assigned if there is a reason to prevent him from serving in a gender-mixed battalion. According to the organization, senior commanders have found a way to circumvent the order and bring yeshiva students to "reinforce deployment" at the borders, where the mixed battalions operate.
The religious fighters are under the command of a female company commander, together with her entire company in a small outpost.
Tzav Echad activist coordinator Idan Levy estimates the reason for this is the need for point-of-the-spear fighters (Border Police and Home Front Command are not defined as such) especially in tanks, after a female armored fighters pilot program failed twice. Armored fighters reported to Tzav Echad that they had been stationed at the Mifgash Outpost on the Israel-Egypt border under Karakal's responsibility, together with their platoon commander, and problems were not long in coming: Minimal separation between the quarters, toilets, and showers, travel in close conditions and civilian clothing. After a struggle, the Karakal Commander released the fighters.
Another complaint came from the Jordan Valley region Central Command. The 931 Infantry Regiment of the Nahal Brigade, hesder yeshiva students, were annexed to the mixed Lavi HaBika battalion at the Vered Jericho outpost and encountered similar problems. In both cases, complaints were submitted to the Deputy Commissioner for Soldiers' Complaints Brigadier General Eitan Dahan.
Tzav Echad told Arutz Sheva, "The Joint Service Ordinance is bad, and its implementation in the field is even worse, and it seems that from the point of view of the Military Chief Rabbinate, gender theory has long defeated Torah Judaism and hesder yeshiva students are no longer a protected flower. We in Tzav Echad organization help every soldier everywhere and call on Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi to implement his promise on the day of his appointment: 'Every soldier is a valuable asset that we have received for safekeeping, and concern for those serving is of first order,' and to prove that with regard to observant soldiers, these words aren't empty."