IDF Women

Several haredi rabbis protesting women in IDF tank units skip meeting with IDF chief Zamir

While several prominent Hesder Yeshivot rabbis were present, The Jerusalem Post has learned that rabbis from one-third of Hesder Yeshivot who have announced a boycott of the move were not.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir seen on November 3, 2025
Female IDF soldiers work on a tank; illustrative.

Equality NGO Forum Dvorah slams hesder yeshivot boycott over women's integration in tank units

DF armored forces at a staging area in southern Israel near the border with Gaza. January 01, 2024.

Editor's Notes: High Court ruling on women in tanks deepens religious divide in IDF - comment

THE EXHIBIT ‘Observation/The Field Observers of the Gaza Sector’ by Talya Lavie is currently on display at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art gives voice to the female observers of Oct. 7


Under the radar: The program bringing ultra-Orthodox women into the IDF

Haredi women assist other like-minded women in joining the military, with exciting new avenues of exploration, and without compromising their way of life

Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin, former Israel Air Force commander, awards Esti Solomon the Above and Beyond medal for the program to integrate haredi women into the air force.

Captain Ella trades desk for the field as IDF's new Arab spokesperson

Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, aka ‘Captain Ella,’ was recently named as the next army spokesperson for the Arab world

Head of the Arabic media desk at the IDF Spokesperson Unit Major "Captain" Ella Waweya; highest ranked Arab Muslim IDF soldier. 20.7.2024.

Women's integration into IDF 'disaster': Rabbis send letter to Netanyahu demanding intervention

The letter came in response to the military’s new program, which would include women in the Armored Corps. It was written by leading rabbis in the religious Zionist sector.

 There is a high demand for combat roles among women in the November-December 2023 draft

Smotrich doubles down on refusal to enlist daughter, claims IDF is 'no place for women'

In an interview, Smotrich also addressed his comments on crime rates in Arab communities, saying, "There is a culture of murder, killing, and jihad in Arab society."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich arrives to a conference of the Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon in Jerusalem, December 25, 2025

Finance Minister Smotrich says he won't educate his daughter to enlist in the IDF

The statement, made during a Religious Zionist Party Knesset press conference, comes as the government fast-tracks a haredi conscription bill.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (RZP) speaks at a Religious Zionist Party press conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 16, 2026.

Supermajority of Israeli Arabs support re-establishing Joint List for Knesset elections, poll shows

A new poll by ArPanel reveals strong backing among Israeli Arabs for a unified Joint List, with 82% in favor and a clear preference for new candidates in the upcoming Knesset election.

Arab MK Ayman Odeh (at the plenum) and MK Ahmad Tibi (in the foreground) attend a Hadash-Ta'al faction meeting at the Knesset, February 2, 2026.

A new IDF face in Arabic exposes tensions in the Arab world - opinion

Who is expected to replace Col. Avichay Adraee? His deputy, Maj. Ella Wawiya, known in the Arab world as “Captain Ella.”

IDF's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee poses for a picture at the Foreign Ministry, in Jerusalem, September 6, 2017

Israel's 'Captain Ella,' highest-ranking Muslim officer, named IDF's new Arabic spokeswoman

Major Ella Waweya, known as "Captain Ella," will replace Col. Avichay Adraee as the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, taking charge of Arabic outreach across platforms.

Maj. Ella Waweya, the new Arabic language spokesperson, pictured on July 7, 2024.

Inside the IDF’s female field intelligence unit spying deep inside Syria – exclusive

Commander hints that the IDF is not leaving Syria any time soon, despite US-sponsored talks

ISRAELI/SYRIAN border fence near IDF Position 720 at the Israel-Syria-Jordan tri-border.

The women shaping Israel's front line strategy against Iran: Inside the IDF's war bunker

From Yemen to Tehran, these lieutenant-colonels lead critical operations while balancing family life and military duty.

 IDF's women Operational Hummer Driving Instructors seen at a gas station in the northern town of Katsrin, Golan Heights on February 8, 2024.