Senior IDF officials are expressing concern over the implications of a High Court ruling mandating the integration of female soldiers into tank units in the wake of the decision by 12 Roshei Yeshivos Hesder to forbid their talmidim from serving in the Armored Corps beginning with the next draft cycle.

According to a Ynet report, a senior military official said that “the High Court has placed us in an impossible position.” He warned of the operational consequences of losing dozens of combat soldiers in every draft cycle in exchange for a few female tank soldiers a year.

The official said the Roshei Yeshivos’ decision to stop sending their talmidim to the Armored Corps—similar to a previous step regarding the Artillery Corps—creates a significant challenge for the military at a time when it is already facing a substantial shortage of combat soldiers.

“From an operational standpoint, the equation created by the High Court ruling is clear: a handful of female tank soldiers each year versus giving up dozens of combat soldiers in every draft cycle,” the official said.

“If the Rabbanim carry out their threat, it will not be possible to do both. We’ve already seen the consequences in the Artillery Corps, and we can’t afford a similar situation to develop in the Armored Corps while also meeting the requirements dictated by the High Court.”

The Armored Corps plays a key role in combat operations on multiple fronts.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)