Dozens of yeshiva heads, rabbis, and educators convened this week for an emergency meeting in response to the IDF's plan to advance a pilot program integrating women into the maneuvering formations of the Armored Corps.
Participants included educators and deans from the Shavei Hevron Yeshiva, Atzmona Mechina, Mitzpe Ramon Yeshiva, Sderot Yeshiva, Itamar Yeshiva, and the yeshivas in Kiryat Shmona and Dimona.
During the discussion, testimonies were presented from religious soldiers in the Combat Engineering Corps who fought in Gaza, who said that female paramedics and combat soldiers were assigned to their units for prolonged periods in cramped conditions inside armored personnel carriers and buildings.
Such assignments run contrary to the IDF's Joint Service Orders. The rabbis warned of halakhic (pertaining to Jewish law) violations, reduced morale, and even impaired combat effectiveness.
"The army violated its own orders," charged Rabbi Dror Aryeh of the Sderot Yeshiva. "We are in the aftermath of a round of fighting. The current battle is to roll back norms that were inserted into the system under claims of emergency and risk to lives. Thousands of halakhically observant soldiers remained silent and cooperated when it was necessary during battle time, but the violation of the orders must not become the new norm."
Other representatives pointed to a similar trend in the Artillery Corps, where a "norm of female integration" was introduced, ultimately leading to the de facto exclusion of yeshiva students. One rabbi and educator serving in the Artillery Corps described issues of immodest dress and shared spaces in APCs, which he said compromised both professionalism and operational capacity.
The participants also discussed changes in the mindset of religious youth entering the IDF. They noted that soldiers who served in armored, infantry, artillery, and other units have shaped a new generation that understands the significance of their contribution to the IDF and the spiritual values they bring.
Sderot's Rabbi David Fendel warned that if the initiative continues, hesder students may "vote with their feet" and avoid enlisting in the Armored Corps. He urged the drafting of an urgent letter from yeshiva rabbis to the defense establishment, calling the initiative a serious blow to the IDF.
Attorney Zofnat Nordmann presented a professional overview to the rabbis, stating that similar pilot programs in elite units like Unit 669, Sayeret Matkal, and mobility units ended in professional and health-related failures. According to assessments presented at the meeting, the IDF's senior command is aware of these findings, but the IDF Spokesperson portrays the programs as successful due to political and legal pressure from women's organizations.
Nordmann noted that Chief Armored Corps Officer Brig. Gen. Ohad Maoz is currently facing a strategic decision regarding another pilot in tanks, scheduled for November. She emphasized the need for rabbis and students to voice their concerns amid external pressures and petitions to the Supreme Court.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants called for the establishment of a public oversight and action headquarters that would unite hesder yeshivas, higher yeshivas, mechinas (pre-military academies), and reservists. The proposed body would monitor trends and developments, expose external pressure groups, support soldiers in the field, and engage with decision-makers in the IDF.