Over 250 female officers decry pressure from rabbis to exclude women from combat: ‘Harming national security’

More than 250 female reserve officers have signed a letter warning of what they describe as a growing effort to exclude women from combat service and undermine the IDF’s chain of command, Channel 12 reports.

The letter, signed by 257 officers including six brigadier generals, seven colonels and 28 lieutenant colonels, was sent to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram.

The officers claim that “external pressure” has interfered in military operational decisions and describe recent calls by religious Zionist rabbis opposing mixed-gender service and women’s integration into combat units as a threat to national security.

“Yielding to external pressure is security negligence and the dismantling of the people’s army from within,” the officers write. “We demand a rejection of the rabbis’ letters and the exclusion of women from the military, and we warn of harm to the state’s security. Stop this madness immediately.”

The letter comes amid growing tensions over women’s service in combat roles, following a decision by several hesder yeshivas to stop directing students to the Armored Corps due to a High Court ruling that the IDF must begin a trial program for female soldiers to serve in the corps by November, following repeated delays by the military.

Yesterday, Zamir met with rabbis from the religious Zionist community, telling them that the military “is still short thousands of combat troops and needs every male and female soldier to fulfill its missions and consolidate the campaign’s achievements.”