Discussion:
The IDF is slowly changing. The traditional secular elites are aging and enlisting at lower rates than they used to, particularly in ground combat units. Meanwhile, two rising cohorts are making their presence felt far more than before, and their priorities seem destined to conflict.
The first is women in combat units. Between performing heroically on October 7 and a High Court that continues to push for greater integration, women are taking on a much larger role. While they still do not serve in regular frontline infantry brigades, they have broken major barriers elsewhere. Women now serve in Gaza operations with mixed-gender border defense battalions, Artillery, and Combat Engineering (including the elite Yahalom unit). In 2026, the first woman even graduated from Sayeret Matkal training, and the High Court ordered the IDF to begin a trial integrating women into maneuvering Armored Corps units by late 2026.
The second rising cohort is the National Religious sector. Although they make up roughly 12% to 15% of the Israeli Jewish population (depending on how surveys define "dati" versus "traditional-religious"), they are vastly overrepresented in ground combat units and the junior-to-middle officer corps. By some estimates, around 45% or more of the fallen IDF soldiers during the war have come from the National Religious community. As their numbers and operational importance grow, their needs and preferences will become much harder to ignore, both formally and informally.
The small, fledgling Haredi IDF units will only add to the collective push for Orthodox accommodations, such as stricter kosher supervision, gender segregation, and addressing perceived glass ceilings for religious officers.
It will be interesting to see how the IDF navigates the competing demands of these two growing demographics. My guess is that it will play out through intense public debate, High Court petitions, protests, and a lot of institutional muddling through. The end result should be fascinating to watch.
