Chareidi Soldiers Say IDF Broke Promises, Forced Them Into Mixed-Gender Unit

Chareidi combat soldiers who enlisted nearly two years ago through the IDF's Tomer Company, a framework created within the Givati Brigade for Chareidi recruits, contend the army has broken its original commitments after dismantling the unit and reassigning them to a regular combat company operating in Gaza.

The soldiers say they enrolled based on assurances that the Tomer framework would enable them to serve in combat while fully preserving their Chareidi standards and lifestyle. They now claim those assurances have been abandoned following the unit's closure.

One soldier expressed the sense of betrayal: "We feel betrayed. You promised us something, we came, people burned the place they came from."

He noted that many soldiers made substantial personal sacrifices to join the IDF. Some experienced family estrangement, while others worry their military service could harm future marriage prospects.

In the Tomer Company, soldiers say prayer, study, and an appropriate religious atmosphere were maintained. Following reassignment, they contend those standards have disappeared despite pre-enlistment commitments.

The soldiers cite serving alongside female soldiers as a major concern, saying they now have joint duties and sometimes operate with female paramedics during combat missions. "This isn't how it's supposed to work. During training they took care of everything, and then once we reached the battalion everything suddenly changed. Why does nobody care about it anymore?" One soldier said.

They also report the religious environment has shifted significantly. They describe music being played during the Three Weeks, phone and electronic device use on Shabbos, and activities inconsistent with a Chareidi setting.

The soldiers said they have repeatedly contacted brigade rabbinates, IDF Chareidi administration, and other officials without receiving meaningful responses to their concerns.