19 religious pre-army academy heads say students will not serve in mixed-gender units

Nineteen heads of religious pre-army academies issued a statement on Monday joining a call from Religious Zionist hesder yeshiva leaders to keep students out of mixed-gender military service, following a planned pilot to integrate female soldiers. The rabbis said they were aligning with the earlier letter and called on their תלמידים, or students, to serve only in units that are not mixed.

Among the signatories are Rabbi Yigal Levinstein of Eli, Rabbi Re'ei Peretz of Asmona, Rabbi Yaakov Feigenbaum and Rabbi Chaim Teitelbaum of Keshet, Rabbi Ohad Meiketan of Ataret, Rabbi Barak Okbi of Lod, Rabbi Lior Nagesa of the Derech Avot pre-army academy, Rabbi Ofir Schwarzbaum of the Lavi academy, Rabbi Ze'ev Sharon of Jaffa, Rabbi Meir Katz of Peduel, Rabbi Eliav HaKohen of Talmon, Rabbi Moshe Hager and Rabbi Eitan Shalev of Yiter, Rabbi Yochai Maimon of Yedidya, Rabbi Nir Rapp of Gabriel, Rabbi Boaz Sherman of Oz Shlomo, Rabbi Yotam Sorek of Ofakim, Rabbi Adiel Azrad of the Eitan academy, and Rabbi Tomal Rachamim of Shuvo Achim.

The Israel Defense Forces responded that the national religious public is “dear and important” to the army, and said it will continue to operate according to the joint service order regarding the integration of women in combat units. The army added that it currently needs every fighter, male and female, and will assign personnel based on operational needs without one population group coming at the expense of another.

The move follows last week’s letter from 25 hesder yeshiva heads, who said they would stop sending students to the Armored Corps. They argued that Israel and the IDF had responded weakly to the issue, said that placing female soldiers inside tanks with male soldiers harms combat capability “spiritually and practically,” and declared that, after careful deliberation, armor service is forbidden under Jewish law, so their students will not be sent there starting with the next enlistment. They said their thousands of combat-bound students will continue to serve, while the IDF must find suitable combat frameworks for those with combat profiles who are not suited to infantry.