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religious soldiers

Soldiers from the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion seen before a swearing in ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, June 11, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
September 22, 2026, 11:39 am
Making room for Haredim, army struggles to not impinge on others’ space
The IDF has introduced sweeping accommodations for ultra-Orthodox troops, but tensions are highlighted by disputes over women and religious standards; experts say building trust remains key
By Stav Levaton
Finance Minister and head of the Religious Zionist party Bezalel Smotrich attends the Religious Zionism party primary ahead of the upcoming general election, in Jerusalem, July 26, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
August 31, 2026, 1:10 pm
Smotrich lambastes IDF for jailing soldiers who wouldn’t serve with female medic
Opposition leaders fume at far-right finance minister, accuse him of harming the IDF with claim the army is ‘antagonizing the public that serves and contributes the most’
By ToI Staff
A group of female soldiers take part in a training exercise in the tank commanders' course, in an undated photograph. (Israel Defense Forces)
April 29, 2026, 7:41 pm
Religious Zionist rabbis say students will not enlist in Armored Corps with women
Heads of yeshivot from both liberal and hard-line sides of the Orthodox community express concern about co-ed tank units after High Court instructs military to start pilot program
By Rossella Tercatin and Emanuel Fabian
Illustrative: Soldiers from the IDF's Netzah Yehuda Battalion patrol near the Israeli-Gaza border, October 20, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
May 18, 2024, 2:24 am
Misfits or misunderstood? Sanctions threat shines light on IDF’s Haredi fighting unit
Claims of ideological vigilantism and cruelty invite US moves against Netzah Yehuda, which has integrated thousands from religious world into mainstream society
By Canaan Lidor
Illustrative: Female soldiers in the army's infantry instructors course take a water break during an exercise on November 19, 2007. (Israel Defense Forces)
August 24, 2023, 10:16 am
Report: Female soldiers barred from singing at IDF base due to religious troops
IDF says it is investigating report, which comes amid spate of instances where women have been discriminated against to accommodate sensitivities of religious Jewish men
By ToI Staff
Bar Pinto (R) and Gilad Levi, two red-bearded 29-year-olds and founders of 'Beard for All' ('Ptor Zakan' in Hebrew), a campaign challenging Israeli military rules compelling all male troops to be cleanshaven, in Tel Aviv on February 7, 2021 (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)
March 3, 2021, 11:52 am
IDF faces battle over bearded soldiers who choose not to shave
Two campaigners have taken up the cause on behalf of thousands of secular servicemen who want the same rights to facial hair granted to religious troops
By Alexandra Vardi
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman visits a weapons factory in Sderot on December 14, 2017. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry/Flash90)
July 2, 2019, 3:14 pm
Liberman says religious pre-military academies creating private militias
Yisrael Beytenu leader criticized by right-wing politicians, who defend religious soldiers and say former defense minister should be ‘ashamed’
By Stuart Winer
Jewish Home party leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett speaks in response to the UN vote against Israeli settlements, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, on December 25, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
March 31, 2019, 3:05 am
Bennett: Religious officers prevented from reaching top IDF posts
Education minister says ‘problem needs to be dealt with’ in recording of conversation with activists aired by Channel 12 news
By ToI Staff
Illustrative photo of bearded religious soldiers. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
August 29, 2018, 2:36 pm
IDF criticized for forcing religious soldiers to shave their beards
Angry debate over how to determine who is observant after one soldier jailed, another punished for not knowing the week’s Torah reading
By Michael Bachner
Illustrative: Religious soldiers of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion pray while completing the final stages of a 40 kilometer journey in 2010. (Abir Sultan/Flash90)
August 8, 2018, 6:25 pm
Religious paratroopers under fire for turning backs on female instructor
IDF says it will not tolerate ‘disrespect’ of teachers; women’s group slams army for weak response to the incident
By Judah Ari Gross
Female soldiers participate in an official ceremony marking Israel's Memorial Day, one day ahead of Israel's 69'th Indepedence Day in Kiryat Shaul military cemetery, Tel Aviv, on May 1, 2017. (Gili Yaari/Flash90)
November 9, 2017, 8:43 pm
Why some religious Israelis are saying women are weakening the army
Zionist rabbis demand IDF chief of staff make changes, or thousands of highly motivated observant men will avoid military duty
By Andrew Tobin
Illustrative: Religious soldiers of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion pray while completing the final stages of a 40 kilometer journey in 2010. (Abir Sultan/Flash90)
November 6, 2017, 12:49 pm
Rabbis threaten IDF with boycott over mixed-gender service
Orthodox leaders say they’ll tell students not to enroll in officers’ course, unless army changes gender regulations
By Judah Ari Gross
Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks at Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium on April 13, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
May 28, 2017, 4:47 pm
Chief rabbi implies immodest secular women are like animals
Yitzhak Yosef says religious people have great respect for woman’s dignity; instructs male soldiers to remove spectacles if confronted with a female singer
By ToI Staff
Illustrative image of a female IDF tank instructor during an exercise on January 1, 2013. (Cpl. Zev Marmorstein/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
November 30, 2016, 12:54 pm
Rabbis vow to keep women out of IDF tanks
Orthodox leaders say they will campaign to maintain status quo, will instruct soldiers to resist attempts at integration
By Stuart Winer
Soldiers study religious texts in the IDF's ultra-Orthodox 'Netzah Yehuda' unit at the Peles Military Base in the northern Jordan valley, August 2013. (Yaakov Naumi/Flash90)
September 25, 2016, 6:58 pm
Religious soldiers can now avoid interactions with opposite sex
Under new directive, soldiers who feel an event goes against their beliefs can lodge request to skip it
By Judah Ari Gross
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