Far-right promotes banning gender integration in the Israeli army
Smotrich’s statements calling for banning gender integration in the army spark anger among organizations representing mothers of female soldiers, who are demanding his dismissal.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that he opposes gender integration within the army. His remarks were described as “dangerous” by the movement “Awake Mother,” which represents mothers of female conscripts and called for his “immediate” dismissal. His statements highlight the extent of the extremist ideas promoted by the religious right, provoking anger among liberal and left-wing groups.
The remarks were made on Monday during a meeting of the parliamentary bloc of the Religious Zionism party, led by Smotrich, according to the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz.
During the meeting, Smotrich said: “I will strive to raise my daughter not to enlist in the army, because the Chief Rabbinate opposes it.”
He added: “This is a world of values thousands of years old. I hope the great liberals will respect it. I respect anyone who thinks differently from me.”
He further explained: “I have my own position — for religious, faith-based, and professional reasons — regarding the impact of gender integration, and so on. I know there are those who disagree with me. Everyone should act according to what they see fit.”
He said he believes that “mixed units are harmful for professional reasons — they create a negative atmosphere and damage the professionalism of the Israeli army. In my view, there is no debate about that,” adding that placing female soldiers inside tanks alongside men is “unreasonable.”
He continued: “This is my position, but I do not dictate to people what to do. I believe having female combat soldiers in the army is not right — but those who think otherwise, that is acceptable, as the army permits it.”
Israel is one of the few countries that impose mandatory military service on women. Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, about 65,000 women have served in the reserve forces, according to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Smotrich’s statements have sparked a wave of anger among mothers of female soldiers, who demanded his immediate dismissal.
The “Awake Mother” movement, which includes mothers of female soldiers in the Israeli army, said: “We are shocked that a minister in the Israeli government declares he will raise his daughter not to enlist in the army.”
In a statement, the movement added that Smotrich “casts doubt on women’s ability to integrate into combat and mixed units — at a time when our daughters serve, fight, and repeatedly return to duty.”
It stated that through these remarks, the finance minister “spits in the face of thousands of female conscripts and combat soldiers in the Israeli army, after their contribution to our collective security has been proven beyond any doubt.”
The movement described his statements as “dangerous and irresponsible” and said: “We call on the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) to dismiss the finance minister immediately.”
According to data from the Israeli army published by the private Channel 12, more than 8,500 women currently serve in combat roles in the Israeli army.
