Female IDF officer denied entry to Haredi military base because of gender, IDF says

Haredi soldiers denied a female logistics officer entry to a Mount Hermon military base because of her gender, despite IDF regulations allowing professional personnel access.Follow us on Google A soldier from the primarily Orthodox and haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Netzah Yehuda Battalion during a swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall, Jerusalem, June 11, 2025.(photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)OCTOBER 14, 2026 04:43Haredi soldiers serving in the Hasmonean Brigade refused to allow a female IDF officer to enter a military outpost on Mount Hermon because of her gender, Kan News reported Tuesday evening.The logistics officer arrived to help prepare for winter, including refurbishing fuel storage tanks that provide electricity and hot water to hundreds of soldiers.She arrived alongside civilian contractors working for the Defense Ministry. While the contractors were granted entry, the officer was turned away, even from the area outside the outpost where the fuel tanks are located.Under IDF General Staff regulations, male and female personnel from other units may enter bases housing Haredi troops to perform professional duties.The IDF clarified that although the Hashmonaim Brigade operates under the "David" track, requiring all personnel serving in the unit to be observant Jews, the restriction does not apply to outside personnel.FEMALE IDF field intelligence collection soldiers S, D, and V in the Syrian buffer zone. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)"This was a mistake. The officer should have been allowed to enter the outpost, while creating the necessary conditions for her to perform her duties in accordance with the provisions of the order," the military said.Democrats candidate warns of growing exclusion of womenDemocrats Party candidate Moran Zer Katzenstein condemned the incident, warning of growing extremism and the exclusion of women."This is not Jewish law; this is extremism and a threat to security," she said."The moment soldiers dare to close a gate in the face of a female IDF officer and expel her from a military outpost is a glaring warning sign for all of us," she said.She added that "A female officer carrying out her duties is not a hazard that needs to be hidden from sight."Zer Katzenstein warned that such incidents could threaten women's military service, claiming that "Within four years, women will no longer serve in the military."Incident comes amid debate over Haredi military enlistmentThe incident comes less than two weeks before Israel's October 27 elections, with Haredi military enlistment remaining a contentious issue.Israeli authorities have arrested some Haredi draft evaders, while the outgoing government has sought legislation limiting penalties for those refusing to enlist.The issue has fueled months of Haredi protests, with demonstrators chanting "We would rather go to jail than the army" and "We will die and not enlist."The Hashmonaim Brigade was established in June 2025, following IDF preparations to accommodate the Haredi way of life.Givati soldiers jailed after refusing to serve alongside female paramedicA similar incident occurred in August, when 17 Givati Brigade soldiers refused to board a Namer armored personnel carrier alongside a female paramedic during a Gaza operation.According to the IDF, five soldiers received 10-day detention sentences, and 11 others received five-day sentences. The operation was canceled following their refusal.Follow us on Google