IDF faces growing backlash over women’s integration in armored units

Tensions are rising inside the IDF over the planned integration of women into armored units, with criticism now coming from both military officials and heads of hesder yeshivas. One informed source said the army should have anticipated the objections and met the rabbis early for a serious, respectful discussion, warning that criticism leaking into the media is harming everyone. Another military source urged a broad dialogue with the rabbis and a compromise plan to avoid “irreversible damage.”

At the same time, some officers are accusing the yeshivas of failing to grasp the IDF’s manpower crisis, which they say will worsen in early 2027 if the Knesset does not extend the length of regular service. One source said, “At this rate, at the beginning of next year we will have to close units or recruit more reservists. We are wearing down reservists’ trust.”

The dispute is escalating as more yeshiva heads join the petition against women serving in the armored corps, directly challenging Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s plan to expand armored forces based on lessons from the war and the units’ performance across different fronts. The IDF says that after about two and a half years of intense, multi-front, unprecedented war, with expanded operational missions and a major burden on the reserve system, it needs every fighter, male and female.

In its response, the IDF said it is committed to integrating all populations while preserving their lifestyles and needs, and stressed that the High Court of Justice did not order it to draft women into the armored corps, only to carry out the planned pilot. The military said the pilot will be run under the joint-service order, with full operational and professional standards, and that no option under review involves men and women serving together in the same framework. The pilot has not yet reached the chief of staff, and the matter is expected to be discussed soon. The IDF also said senior officers have been in regular contact in recent months with hesder yeshiva leaders and other religious-Zionist representatives.