Yeshiva Leaders Say Hesder Students Will Enlist in Armored Corps in August

After meeting with the IDF chief of staff and senior officers, and after a special discussion about integrating female soldiers into combat units, leaders of hesder yeshivas decided that their students will continue to enlist in the Armored Corps as planned. The assembly of hesder yeshiva heads, attended Thursday by nearly 50 principals, said the next draft cycle in August will proceed as scheduled.

The discussion focused on the dispute over mixed-gender service models and claims that the IDF’s joint-service order is being violated. The yeshiva leaders said they are worried that expanding mixed units is blocking observant soldiers from serving in parts of the army. They also raised concern about the pilot to place female soldiers in the maneuvering armored corps, saying it could reduce service options for soldiers who follow halachic rules.

According to the union of hesder yeshivas, their representatives met this week with the chief of staff and other top IDF officials and presented their objections to how the joint-service order is being implemented. They said the meeting included principles and solutions meant to allow every religiously observant soldier to serve in line with faith and values.

The yeshiva heads said the chief of staff praised the contribution of hesder and preparatory-school students to the IDF, reaffirmed his commitment to the principle of a “people’s army,” and said there is no place for excluding observant soldiers from different units. The association said dialogue with the army will continue, and leaders called for preventing division in the IDF, letting each soldier serve according to belief, and strictly enforcing the joint-service order.