Israel To Form Combat Unit Exclusively For Religious Women

Israel’s army will create a new border defense unit next March reserved exclusively for religious women who want to serve in combat roles, according to reports from the country’s media.

This new unit will accommodate women who want to serve in the military, but for religious reasons cannot join conventional units because they may come into contact with men, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan announced on Sunday.

Israel’s mandatory service does not apply to religious women in the state, who can instead elect to perform national service in civilian positions that conform to their religious restrictions.

While many choose the option of national service, some religious women still volunteer to serve in Israel’s military.

The move to create the unit arrived following a request from the leaders of Israel’s religious schools, who said their female students wanted to join combat units, but encountered difficulty due to their religious restrictions on modesty, according to The Times of Israel. 

Following debates around the integration of young religious women, the military decided to open a department within a pre-established battalion, and to select candidates for the unit in the next round of recruitment.

Similar units accommodating the modesty restrictions for religious men already exist.

Last June, women serving in tank units were stationed along Israel’s border with Egypt in another historic first for the country’s female military operators.