JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The pilot program to integrate women into the armored corps is expected to launch with the upcoming November draft, and tensions are running high.

After a series of rabbis, including the heads of hesder yeshivas, announced they would instruct their students not to enlist in the armored corps if the pilot is not canceled, pre-IDF enlistment candidates have now begun voicing their position. In a letter sent this evening to the IDF Chief of Staff and the Defense Minister, signed by approximately 1,000 candidates for military service from pre-military academies, hesder yeshivas, and advanced yeshivas, the signatories wrote:

“We, pre-enlistment candidates from advanced yeshivas, hesder tracks, and academies across the country, call on you not to yield to external pressures from outside the military, coming from radical feminist organizations that undermine the values of comradeship, professionalism, and the pursuit of victory.”

The candidates added: “Pilot programs in Unit 669, Sayeret Matkal, the Mobility Unit, and others ended in complete failure. The Artillery Corps excluded yeshiva students, and its operational effectiveness has weakened, as has the reserve system. As an armored corps officer yourself, you know that without the pressure of these organizations and High Court rulings, there is no genuine feasibility for integrating women into maneuvering combat forces. It is also clear that these organizations harm females through an immoral experiment that damages their health and dignity.”

In conclusion, the candidates wrote to the Chief of Staff: “If this dangerous move proceeds, we, as observant soldiers, will not be able to serve in this formation and will seek assignment in other units. You have the ability to prevent this dangerous step.”