19 pre-army yeshiva heads tell students to avoid mixed-gender combat units

Nineteen heads of pre-army preparatory programs in the religious Zionist sector have joined the call against serving in mixed-gender combat units, following similar letters from yeshiva leaders. The message, reported Monday by Channel 14, tells students to choose units where men and women are not serving together.

The move comes after more than 30 heads of hesder yeshivas signed a letter last week urging students not to serve in the Armored Corps, in response to the IDF’s decision to place female combat soldiers in maneuvering units. Rabbi Yigal Levinstein of Bnei David also joined the criticism, saying the army prefers “progressive values” over victory and urging his students to enlist in Shayetet 13 and Sayeret Shaldag, but not in Sayeret Matkal, after women were recently integrated there.

Among the signatories to the new letter are Rabbi Moshe Hager of Yatir, Rabbi Re'i Peretz of Atzmona, and Rabbi Ze'ev Sharon, the son of a former chief military rabbi, along with other rabbis. The article says the issue has sharpened after repeated petitions pushed the IDF, under High Court pressure, to place women in more combat units and to dismantle the joint service order, which religious Zionist rabbis viewed as a partial framework for keeping halacha.

In a statement, the IDF said the national religious public is “dear and important” to the army, but that it will continue to act according to the joint service order on integrating women into combat units. The army said it currently needs every fighter, male and female, and will assign personnel according to operational needs without one population replacing another.