Equal opportunity in the IDF is not a favor. It is a binding legal obligation. This was the clear message emphasized by Rackman Center CEO Adv. Shelly Blatt Zak in her response to the Supreme Court ruling requiring the IDF to open combat roles to women.
Speaking to JNS, Adv. Blatt Zak explained: “The ruling is unequivocal: Equal opportunity in IDF service is a binding legal obligation. The exclusion of women from combat roles must be limited to exceptional cases, for which the army is required to provide detailed justification.”
The ruling marks an important shift in the legal starting point. Women should not be required to prove that they deserve equal opportunity in the IDF. Instead, the IDF must justify any restriction placed on women’s service. That justification must be specific, professional and evidence-based.
Adv. Blatt Zak added that restrictions on women’s participation in combat roles cannot rely on stereotypes or general assumptions about women’s capabilities. Decisions about military service must be based on substantive reasoning, operational needs and concrete evidence. A woman who meets the relevant professional standards should receive a genuine opportunity to serve.
This approach is especially important because military service plays a central role in Israeli public life. Access to meaningful service affects not only a soldier’s military experience, but also future opportunities, public participation and social equality. When women are excluded without a clear and justified reason, the impact reaches far beyond the army.
For the Rackman Center, the ruling is an important step toward gender equality in Israel. It reflects a broader commitment to legal and social change, and to ensuring that women can participate fully in public life. Equal opportunity in the IDF must be the rule, not the exception.
The decision does not remove the IDF’s authority to set professional standards. It requires those standards to be applied fairly. Any limitation must be grounded in facts, not assumptions. Any exclusion must be justified, not taken for granted.
