Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb briefed officials on data regarding Chareidi recruitment in a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday. During the meeting, Labor MK Efrat Rayten asked Tayeb: “Why hasn’t the IDF Chief of Staff met with women’s organizations regarding the recruitment of Chareidim? Tayeb responded: “Women are not a target population in the process.” But Rayten wasn’t referring to the recruitment of Chareidi women; she was referring to secular women whom she claims will be discriminated against due to Chareidi recruitment. She responded to Tayeb: “In other words, female soldiers, who are excluded and harmed by the demands for separate-gender spaces, are not even being considered.” Tal Hochman, the head of the Women’s Lobby, quoted Tayeb’s statement on X, adding: “The Women’s Lobby understands the security challenges facing the IDF, and certainly at this time, and supports the recruitment of Chareidim to the IDF as part of it being the people’s army. However, we warn against a serious danger to the equality of female soldiers and commanders. Women have proven their courage and contribution in the war and their significant role in the army. It is absurd that these women, who defended the borders of the country with their bodies, will now be excluded and discriminated against simply because they are women.” “We have turned to the Chief of Staff with an unequivocal demand to ensure that the recruitment of Chareidim does not lead to the creation of separate gender spaces—a situation that will take the IDF backwards and severely damage the principles of equality in the IDF.” Labor MK Merav Michaeli wrote: “The more Chareidim who enlist, the more built-in discrimination in the advancement of women there will be. Separation between women and men in academia has caused discrimination against women,” she falsely claimed. “It has spilled over into the public space, into dress codes, in the library. It harmed lecturers who cannot teach men. This is the process I fear will happen in the army. It’s already happening under the radar.” “The marking of women as something that men can say, ‘I won’t be where that creature is’ is destructive to any society. It legitimizes continuing to exclude women. This is a great danger to the IDF,” she concluded. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)