Women In The IDF

Poll:

Religious enlistment more important than mixed-gender units

A poll found that the Israeli public is divided almost evenly on whether to integrate women into armored units versus making adjustments for religious soldiers.

Boycott between IDF and heads of premilitary academies

The Chief of Staff ordered not to invite Rabbi Yigal Levinstein to a meeting with heads of yeshivas and pre-army programs. In response, the heads of the pre-army programs decided not to attend the meeting.

Chief of Staff:

Female tank crew pilot program to move out of Armored Corps

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir decided that a pilot to integrate women into tank crews will be conducted under the Border Defense Corps rather than inside the Armored Corps.

Crisis Grows:

13 Hesder yeshivas halt Armored Corps recruitment

Thirteen heads of Hesder yeshivas join the announcement to stop sending recruits to the Armored Corps following the integration of women into combat units.

Religious Zionist Rabbis:

'A religious soldier cannot serve in a mixed unit'

Dozens of rabbis convened an emergency meeting following a Supreme Court ruling on integrating female soldiers into the Armored Corps, and ruled that a soldier who observes Jewish law cannot serve in a mixed combat unit.

Sderot Yeshiva Rabbi:

'Male soldiers should not have a female paramedic in their APC'

Rabbi David Fendel clarifies to students of the Sderot Hesder Yeshiva that a soldier who finds himself with a woman in an operational vehicle must demand that his commanders not allow such a situation.

Yeshiva students protest serving alongside female paramedic

Yeshiva students from Battalion 603 protested serving alongside a female paramedic assigned to the battalion's engineering vehicles - a complaint that was ultimately accepted by their commanders.

Female combat veteran:

Enlistment equality endangers women

Odelia Kedmi, former IDF commander and deputy mayor of Zichron Yaakov, says that making special accommodations for women in IDF combat units endangers them, clarifying that she believes in women's empowerment.

Only God determines which barriers are desirable

A barrier is not social segregation but a spiritual foundation that guarantees the camp's sanctity and preserves its identity.

Rabbis oppose women serving in Armored Corps

Senior Religious Zionist rabbis express strong opposition to the Armored Corps' pilot to integrate women into offensive combat roles as well as border security forces due to religious issues.

Arutz Sheva Exclusive:

'Attack in Bnei Brak is sacrilege'

In an interview with Arutz Sheva, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the riot against soldiers in Bnei Brak as sacrilegious and demanded haredi leaders condemn them.

Yeshiva rabbi threatens Supreme Court case over mixed service

Rabbi Dror Aryeh said in an interview that students from Sderot yeshiva are considering a court case against combat service that would require them to serve alongside women.

Religious soldiers walked out of ceremony with female singers

At a ceremony for the 9th Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade, religious soldiers repeatedly left the event because a military band included female singers, including during the national anthem.

Women military choir performs at soldiers' Selichot

At the Sultan's Pool in Jerusalem, soldiers were invited to a Selichot show with well-known artists, but were surprised to find a women's military choir also on stage.

New battalion established in IDF Rescue Brigade

The IDF has officially launched a fifth battalion within its Rescue Brigade on Wednesday, in response to a significant increase in enlistment motivation following Operation Rising Lion.

Sderot Yeshiva Rabbis:

Female paramedics unacceptable for male soldiers

Sderot Yeshiva Rabbis published a letter to their students against serving with a female paramedic in their military unit.

IDF halts training of women in tranportation units

After approximately 6 months of training, the Chief of Staff decided to halt the trial program to train women as infantry in transportation units due to physical and medical challenges.

Mixed Service Debate:

'You're trying to topple the army!'

Religious Zionism MK Tzvi Succot accused opposition lawmakers of exploiting the IDF's gender integration policy to destabilize the government during a debate today on gender equality in the IDF.

IDF Confirms:

Many tanks were damaged, existing supply is insufficient

The IDF confirmed in its response to the Supreme Court that it was forced to postpone the pilot project for integrating women into the maneuvering forces due to a lack of functional tanks.

State Comptroller:

Female soldiers assigned to guard terrorists are at risk of abuse

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman warns that the female soldiers assigned to guard captured terrorists are likely to suffer sexual abuse. 'The writing is clearly on the wall.'

Defense Minister:

'We must do more to integrate women in the IDF'

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant marked International Women's Day by meeting with a group of women serving as officers in the IDF and discussing their contributions to the war effort.

Yisrael Beiteinu MK:

'We will need to completely reorganize the IDF'

Former Brig. Gen. Sharon Nir says that the war has shown how the security system must reorganize itself from the ground up.

Chief of Staff:

'Women in combat units is risky, with little chance of success'

Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi wrote a professional opinion opposing the introduction of women into the IDF's elite units.

IDF elite units open to women

Chief of Staff: Operational success will be our test

IDF spokesman: This should not be our endurance test, where different sectors of the public says they will not enlist.

IDF to open elite units to women

The IDF claims that the Chief of Staff is not optimistic about women completing the training, but respects the Supreme Court's ruling.

First woman appointed IDF brigade commander

Former Head of IDF Combat Intelligence says Israel needs to use 'all aspects of its society' to maximize overall success.

IDF at a crossroads: Integrate more women into combat units?

Women have always served in non-combat roles within the IDF, but does higher enrollment in combat units signal a change in cultural norms?

Watch: Women recruited for tank service in IDF

After a 1-year hiatus, women are again being recruited for tank units in the IDF. The move is accompanied by much controversy.

'We will prevent the brainwashing of religious girls'

Group promoting Jewish values in Israeli public sphere says state religious education caved in to pressure from 'pluralistic organizations.'

Court orders state to fund army prep school for religious girls

Court instructs Education Ministry to fund IDF preparatory activities at religious girls' schools, as is done at boys' schools.

Legal hotline helps religious girls harassed at draft office

Organization opens hotline for religious girls illegally called to aggressive examination to 'prove' religiosity for draft exemption.

'National religious education doesn't encourage girls to enlist'

CEO of national religious education system rejects claims that groups encouraging girls to enlist in IDF are infiltrating schools.

Parents to Education Ministry: Don't send our girls to the IDF

Parents call on Education Minister not to allow organizations encouraging enlistment of girls into national religious schools.

Gender separation to return to officers training school

IDF COS says units in officers training school will again be gender-separated, following numerous complaints from religious soldiers.

Bnei Akiva Head explains his opposition to women enlisting

CEO of the Bnei Akiva high schools, Elhanan Glatt, is unmoved by criticism of his comments discouraging women from enlisting in the army.

'One of you will be the first female IDF Chief of Staff'

Prime Minister at event honoring female soldiers of the IDF: 'our female fighters have influence far beyond the borders of Israel'.

IDF Admits Problems with Women in Combat

Surprise, surprise: female combat soldiers suffer injuries during training at twice the rate of males.

Left Creates More 'Mixed Gender' Mayhem in IDF

Under New Israel Fund pressure, IDF will create more mixed-gender battalions at expense of quality.

Jewish Home Candidate Opposes Women's IDF Service

#17 candidate Sarah Eliash sparks some controversy after Army Radio reveals old interview stating that she accepts Rabbinate ruling.

IDF Opens New Mixed-Gender Battalion

The Bardelas battalion will be comprised of 50% women and 50% men and serve mostly in Central Command.

Study Finds Women Don't Belong in Combat

New book shows women in combat suffer much more serious non-combat injuries, alleges IDF cover-up.

More Than 1500 Religious Women Enlist in IDF

The trend for observant women to apply for the draft is growing - and one organization helps them serve while keeping true to Torah values.

Hareidi MK: IDF Draft is Violence Against Women

Hareidi MK says mandatory draft for women, religious or secular, is a form of ‘serious violence.’

MKs Torpedo Equality in IDF – Women's Groups Suspiciously Silent

The plan was to shorten men's service and lengthen women's, but it seems feminists don't like the second part.

Rabbi Riskin on Women’s Enlistment: It’s a Mitzvah

Rabbi of Efrat weighs in on women’s enlistment controversy, says enlistment opponents are ignoring modern reality.

Rabbis: Women's Groups Pushing Out Religious Soldiers from IDF

Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivai preparing new directives that will make service in IDF more difficult for religious soldiers. Rabbis protest.

Female Officers Demand Variety in Nail Polish

Dozens of female officers demand an exemption from the rule that only allows three colors of nail polish.

IDF to Choose: Women or Hareidim?

Political organizations and women's groups are pressuring the IDF to place women in more combat units.

Controversy as Rabbi Weighs in on Women in IDF

Former IDF rabbi causes controversy with proposal that women, men have different roles.

IDF Seeks Religious Jewish Female Soldiers

IDF higher-ups discuss ways to boost enlistment among religious Jewish women.

‘What if a Female Pilot Falls Captive?’

Former IAF commander says the possibility of a female captive soldier should be part of IDF dialogue on women in the army.

Pride and Embarrassment for Mixed-Sex Unit after Firefight

One of the unit's female fighters performed heroically. Another cowered behind a bush for 90 minutes.

Woman Combat Officer Finishes ‘Beret March’ while Pregnant

Women combat officers are common in the IDF, but one commander went one better – training soldiers while eight months pregnant.

Bill to Make Women's Draft Refusal Illegal

Law proposed by female MKs would make it tougher for women to avoid enlistment.

MK Katz: Women Harmed by Service in Combat Units

NU head exposes research that shows women suffer 4-10 times more serious injuries than men, hints at cover-up.

Military Rabbis Criticize IDF Chief Rabbi on 'Exclusion'

IDF rabbis tell Arutz Sheva there was no justification for self-flagellating conference on "women's exclusion" in IDF.

Latest 'Exclusion': Candle Lighting in Mixed Unit

Yediot Aharonot leads with – apparently inaccurate – story about hassidic singer who asked women to "go to the back."

Officer: Leftists Stirring 'Women's Singing' Pot

Maj. (res.) Yoni Setbon of the Ra'ananim movement says leftists feel threatened by growing influence of religious Zionist officers.

Chief of Staff Weighs in on Women's Singing

Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz says he did "not like" rabbi's call to leave IDF if soldiers forced to watch female singers.

Cover-Up of Health Damage to Female Soldiers Alleged

Forum for a Strong IDF: women's groups mislead public about "an epidemic" of hip stress fractures, ruptured discs and uterine prolapse.