Religious Zionist rabbis test the IDF's weakness over female combat roles and Haredi enlistment

The column argues that the recent decision by hesder yeshivas to announce that their students will not enlist in armor out of concern over mixed combat units with women is not really about tanks or a specific posting. It says the IDF avoided confronting the rabbis directly and instead declared there would be no mixed formations, but that the deeper issue is the army’s vulnerability amid a wider struggle over its character.

According to the piece, the war that began on October 7 created, two and a half years later, a long-awaited opening to influence the army’s nature. It says the erosion of the old “people’s army,” especially in combat and reserve service, has made the IDF a central front in Israel’s culture war. At the same time, the urgent need for fighters, and the expectation that ultra-Orthodox recruits will not arrive soon, have strengthened organized groups like the pre-army yeshiva track and made the military more dependent on Religious Zionist manpower.

The rabbis, the article says, understand that dependence and also see the IDF being tested on ultra-Orthodox enlistment and on how far it is willing to adapt service conditions for a more insular public. In their view, the move puts the army in a no-lose test, if the IDF backs down, it signals major change beyond the question of women in tanks; if it does not, the ultra-Orthodox and Religious Zionist right can claim vindication while waiting for the army to face its manpower shortage.

The writer also draws a parallel to the protests against the judicial overhaul, when another strong, organized camp in the army used its leverage to set conditions for continued service. The column says slogans like “we will draft everyone” are unrealistic and ignore the growing difficulty for the IDF to stay true to Ben-Gurion-era values while satisfying the factions that keep it running. It concludes that the army is no longer a melting pot but a weakening corporation divided by rival interest groups.