Hundreds of Religious Students Demand End to IDF Mixed-Gender Service Policy

Hundreds of yeshiva students, pre-military academy participants, and reservists are set to attend an emergency conference next week in Jerusalem. The event, organized by the Az Banemar headquarters and the Hotam organization, aims to oppose the expansion of mixed-gender service in combat units within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Attendees will include students from 27 yeshivot and pre-military academies preparing for upcoming drafts, alongside rabbis and heads of religious institutions.

Organizers describe the conference as the first step in a public campaign to ensure that religious soldiers can serve in the IDF according to Jewish law. They claim that in recent years, the enforcement of the IDF’s mixed-gender service directive has weakened, leading to frequent violations and increased gender integration in combat units. This, they argue, disrupts the ability of religious soldiers to maintain their lifestyle and religious observance during service.

The organizers further contend that these changes represent a fundamental shift in the IDF’s character, blurring gender distinctions and harming what they call the "holiness of the camp." The conference will call for the cancellation of the mixed-gender service directive and advocate for a new policy that aligns military service with the values of the religious community.

Prominent rabbis expected to participate include Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, Rabbi Haggai Lundin, Rabbi Tal Shaulyan, and others leading major yeshivot across Israel. Rabbi Dror Aryeh, one of the conference organizers, emphasized the negative impact of mixed-gender service on combat effectiveness and religious sanctity, stating, "The IDF is a Jewish army, and the holiness of the camp is the core of victory. We demand the cancellation of the mixed-gender service directive. We have stopped remaining silent and bowing our heads; we want a victorious Jewish army."