12 hesder yeshiva heads say they will stop sending students to the Armored Corps over women’s integration

Following the decision to include female soldiers in tanks, 12 heads of hesder yeshivot announced tonight that they will stop sending their students to the Armored Corps starting with the next draft, בעקבות the High Court of Justice ruling requiring the integration of female soldiers in the Armored Corps. In a letter sent by the yeshiva heads, they demand that the IDF find a solution for students whose profile does not allow service in other combat units.

The letter said: "We, the undersigned, heads of hesder yeshivot, whose students are on the front lines of the fighting, view with great severity the High Court decision obligating the IDF to integrate female soldiers in the maneuvering Armored Corps." They continued: "We are pained by the feeble response of the State of Israel and the IDF, which did not express opposition to this move. As yeshiva heads, we are aware of the heavy responsibility placed on our shoulders. The IDF is the army of the people of Israel, and the sanctity of the camp is the basis of its spirit and of success in defeating the enemy. Bringing female soldiers into tanks together with male soldiers harms, both spiritually and practically, the ability to fight."

The yeshiva heads announced that "after serious deliberation, we decided that service in the Armored Corps is prohibited according to Jewish law, and therefore we will not send our students to serve in the Armored Corps starting with the next draft. Thousands of our students who enlist in combat units will continue to do so with mission and strength, but the IDF bears responsibility to provide those with combat profiles who are not suitable for infantry with a combat framework that is appropriate to their spirit." According to the rabbis, the IDF is completely ignoring them, as well as the requests and demands of the students due to enlist.

The letter was signed by: the head of the Yeshivat Alon Moreh, Rabbi Shahar Imbar; the head of Yeshivat Itamar, Rabbi Yehoshua Van Dyke; the head of Yeshivat HaKotel, Rabbi Baruch Wieder; the head of Yeshivat "Nir" in Kiryat Arba, Rabbi Noam Waldman; the head of Yeshivat "Or VeYeshua" in Haifa, Rabbi Eliyahu Rahamim Zini; the head of Yeshivat Carmiel, Rabbi Yaakov Yedid; the head of Yeshivat Alon Moreh, Rabbi Eliakim Levanon; the head of Yeshivat Holon, Rabbi Hagai Londin; the head of Yeshivat Sderot, Rabbi David Fendel; the head of the hesder yeshiva "Ayelet HaShachar" in Eilat, Rabbi Yossi Rodriguez; and the head of Yeshivat Holon, Rabbi Tal Shaulian.