According to a report by The Times of Israel on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the Israel Defense Forces has responded to criticism from a group of 12 yeshivas that threatened to stop sending students to serve in tank units over a planned pilot program to integrate women into the Armored Corps.
The yeshivas, all part of the “hesder” framework that combines religious study with shortened military service, said earlier in the day that they would halt participation in Armored Corps recruitment due to objections to female integration in combat roles.
The IDF, in a formal statement, said it requires all available combat personnel due to the strain of ongoing multi-front operations and stressed the importance of maintaining operational readiness while also working to integrate diverse populations into military service.
“After approximately two and a half years of intense, multi-front and unprecedented war, during which the operational missions of the IDF were expanded, and the burden on the reserve forces increased significantly, the IDF needs every male and female combat soldier,” the military said.
The army added that it continues to view itself as a “people’s army,” balancing operational needs with efforts to accommodate different communities and ways of life without disadvantaging any group.
The dispute stems from a High Court of Justice ruling last month requiring the IDF to initiate a pilot program allowing female soldiers to serve in the Armored Corps. The court said the army must begin testing the framework after repeated delays, though it did not order immediate full-scale integration.
In response, the rabbis leading the 12 yeshivas expressed strong opposition, saying they viewed the court decision as unacceptable and arguing that it would alter the traditional structure of combat service for their students.
The IDF clarified that the court ruling only mandates a trial program, not the immediate deployment of female soldiers into tank units.
“The High Court of Justice did not instruct the IDF to enlist female soldiers into the Armored Corps, but rather instructed it to conduct the planned pilot on the matter,” the military said.
The army also rejected claims that men and women would be forced to serve together in the same tank crews or mixed combat frameworks. It said all pilot options under consideration would maintain separation between male and female soldiers in line with existing protocols.
“Among all the options being examined in the pilot, there is no alternative in which men and women will serve together within the same framework,” the IDF said.
The military added that it is continuing to advance efforts to expand women’s participation in combat roles where feasible, while ensuring operational standards are not compromised.
According to the IDF, senior officials have been in ongoing dialogue with leaders of hesder yeshivas and representatives of the religious-Zionist community in recent months in an attempt to address concerns around the issue.
The army also emphasized that its manpower needs remain high, stating that it requires thousands of additional combat recruits due to sustained operational demands across multiple fronts.