Rabbi Yigal Levinstein Urges Students Not to Enlist in Sayeret Matkal

Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli, urged prospective IDF recruits not to enlist in Sayeret Matkal following the IDF’s announcement that a female soldier had completed a training track adapted for her in the elite unit.

His remarks come shortly after a group of Hesder yeshiva heads announced that they would no longer send students to the Armored Corps, following the decision to integrate female soldiers into tank units.

Levinstein sharply criticized the IDF announcement, saying that Sayeret Matkal had “become Caracal,” referring to the mixed-gender combat battalion. He argued that the army had lowered operational requirements in order to present what he called a symbolic victory for gender integration.

According to Levinstein, the phrase “a track adapted for her” indicates that the military adjusted the professional standards of the unit in order to allow a woman to complete the course. He said this reflects a dangerous prioritization of equality over combat effectiveness.

“This is a concept on steroids inside the unit,” he said, arguing that radical feminist gender theory had overtaken the value of victory.

Levinstein said his opposition is based on concern for the operational strength of the IDF and the professional standing of Sayeret Matkal. He claimed that the elite unit serves as a symbol and professional compass for the rest of the army, making changes there especially significant.

He advised young men heading to selection processes to prefer units that, in his view, still place victory above all other values. He specifically named Shaldag and Shayetet 13, saying those units had not lowered standards in the name of equality.

“Out of responsibility for the IDF’s value of victory, and for the unit in particular, I recommend that every prospective recruit going to tryouts prefer units that see victory as their number one value,” Levinstein said.

He warned that the consequences could extend beyond Sayeret Matkal. If values are changed inside one of the IDF’s most prestigious units, he argued, similar pressure will eventually reach other combat formations, including the Paratroopers Brigade and the Armored Corps.

Levinstein framed the issue as a serious security concern, saying that the danger to Israel’s security is significant because elite units influence the standards and culture of the entire military.