IDF Faces Religious Opposition Over Women Serving in Tank Units

Several weeks ago, the Israeli media reported that the first woman successfully completed the elite General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal) training. Concurrently, religious leaders from Hesder yeshivas threatened that if the pilot program integrating women into the Armored Corps was not canceled, their students would refuse to enlist in tank units. Osnat Levi was among the first four women to participate in the 2018 pilot for including women in the Armored Corps. In a new episode of the podcast "To the Edge," Levi, journalist Keren Neubach, and military analyst Roy Sharon discuss whether the influence of rabbis over the IDF is growing and if the Chief of Staff's concessions represent a retreat or a necessary compromise. Levi shared her experience, saying she dreamed of serving in Sayeret Matkal but quickly realized it was not feasible. She described the armored corps training as extremely challenging, with constant scrutiny and pressure. Hesder yeshiva and pre-military academy leaders issued a letter claiming that integrating female soldiers into mixed-gender tank crews causes spiritual harm and undermines combat effectiveness. Roy Sharon's recordings reveal contradictions between past rabbinical statements by figures like Rabbi Rafi Peretz and Rabbi Eli Sadan supporting women's service and their current opposition. The discussion questions whether the shift is genuinely halachic or a struggle for power. The episode also touches on whether anyone still dares to oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu privately amid ongoing judicial reform debates, highlighting a family nearly torn apart by the controversy.