Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved the continued advancement of the pilot to examine the integration of women into the maneuverable armor formation, which is expected to launch with the November 2026 recruitment.
The decision was made after lengthy discussions in the IDF and against the backdrop of public and military controversy surrounding the move.
According to the outline approved in a General Staff meeting held this week, the pilot will take place within the framework of the Border Protection System and not as part of the regular armored brigades. The Armored Corps will provide professional support only, while the framework that will be established will be completely separate in terms of gender, without women and men being combined in the same tank, in the same training, or in the same company.
The decision was made against the backdrop of opposition from the head of the Hesder yeshiva to integrating female fighters into the armor, after more than 25 heads of Hesder yeshiva and preparatory schools expressed opposition to the move and even warned that they would not send their students to the Armored Corps if it were operated in a mixed service format.
The preparedness discussion that took place this week was attended by senior General Staff officials, including the Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, Head of the Human Resources Division, Maj. Gen. Dado Bar-Khalifa, the Chief Military Advocate, Maj. Gen. Itay Ofir, Head of the Support Brigade, Maj. Gen. Shai Taib, Chief Armor Officer, Maj. Gen. Ohad Maor, Chief Military Rabbi, Maj. Gen. Eyal Karim, Advisor to the Chief of Staff for Haredi Affairs, Maj. Gen. Avinoam Emunah, Advisor to the Chief of Staff for Gender Affairs, Maj. Gen. Rosital Aviv, and other commanders.
At the beginning of the discussion, Zamir emphasized the need for every soldier in the IDF in light of the many challenges and arenas. He expressed appreciation for the female soldiers currently serving in the various formations and noted the "determination, professionalism, and high motivation" they demonstrate.
The Chief of Staff determined that the success of the pilot will be measured according to two main criteria:
Zamir emphasized that the recent war has sharpened the importance of individual competence on the battlefield, from the ability to operate weapons to full integration into team work. He said that any future expansion of the move will be subject to proof of full operational capability.
In addition, the Chief of Staff emphasized the need to maintain the physical health of the female fighters. He noted that the abnormal injury rates that occurred in previous pilots are unreasonable, and therefore it is necessary to build a training track that will reduce injuries as much as possible, without easing operational requirements.
The IDF clarified that there is no intention at this stage to integrate female fighters into the regular armored brigades. To the extent that the pilot is defined as a success, the integration of women will be carried out in a designated framework that will be at least company-wide, while fighting under a combat team will require adjustments in accordance with the Joint Service Order.
Today, female tankers operate in the Border Protection Division in ongoing security missions, patrols, observations, and thwarting smuggling. Among other things, the "Fara" company operates in the Karakal Battalion, whose fighters participated in the battles of October 7 and stopped the advance of Hamas terrorists in the southern sector.
At the end of the discussion, the Chief of Staff instructed to continue preparations for the pilot launch in the November recruitment, in accordance with the criteria that were presented and approved.
