Reporter says armor pilot for women faces low odds of success
Military correspondent Roi Sharon said the planned integration of female fighters into the maneuvering armor corps faces major personnel and readiness challenges. He argued that unlike earlier pilots for female tank crews and women in Yahalom, this project requires the same operational mission as male armored soldiers, so the training bar must also be the same. According to Sharon, that makes it harder to find enough women with both the motivation and the physical ability to complete the program.
Sharon said the pilot's chances are “not high,” and noted that the IDF insists on training and assignments identical to those of armored combat soldiers. The army plans to build a separate company of female fighters within a dedicated tank battalion, with training at a separate base and no mixing with other combat crews. The IDF says the pilot can only move forward if a full company is formed, meaning more than 30 women must successfully finish the training before the program can advance to an operational stage.
The remarks came amid tension with some Hesder yeshivas, which have criticized the move and warned it could affect their students' willingness to enlist in the Armored Corps. On Thursday, members of the Hesder Yeshiva Association's council sent a letter to yeshiva heads saying they have been working since a High Court ruling to prevent female soldiers from serving alongside strictly observant male combat troops.
The council said it has coordinated with rabbinic leaders from religious-Zionist circles and held many meetings in recent weeks. It said mixed combat service in a maneuvering unit is not compatible with soldiers who observe halacha, but that it is in continuous dialogue with the IDF to allow observant recruits to join the Armored Corps without compromising their religious values. The council added, “We will do everything possible to allow our students to enlist in the Armored Corps in the upcoming draft without harming their values,” and stressed that a separate media letter published in recent days was not issued by the council. Dozens of yeshiva heads signed the council's letter.
