Leading Religious Zionist Rabbis Oppose Mixed-Gender Military Service Policy

A wave of opposition has emerged from prominent Religious Zionist yeshiva leaders against the Israeli military's mixed-gender service policy. Leading rabbis including Shlomo Aviner, Elyakim Levanon, and David Fendel have issued strong statements urging the military leadership to preserve the sanctity of their community and allow observant soldiers to serve without facing halachic conflicts. Rabbi Elyakim Levanon emphasized that maintaining the community's sanctity is fundamental to Israel's success in its military endeavors and called for halting the current trend.

Rabbi David Fendel described the issue as a "historic struggle over the character of the IDF," stressing the need to ensure that Torah-observant soldiers can serve meaningfully without compromising their religious lifestyle. In response to these concerns, dozens of yeshiva and pre-military academy heads, including Rabbis Yigal Levinstein, Yehoshua Shapira, and Shimon Cohen, announced their participation in an emergency conference scheduled for next week in Jerusalem, alongside their students.

The event is organized by the "Az B'Nemar" headquarters and the Chotam organization, which sharply criticize what they call violations of the mixed-service order and the creeping blurring of gender distinctions. They argue that these developments are being imposed on the ground, making it difficult for observant soldiers to serve properly according to their religious standards.