Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's ruling on the conscription law, which stipulated that 3,000 ultra-Orthodox young men are expected to enlist in the IDF soon, the religious sector's young women don't need a court decision: This year, about 3,500 women have enlisted or are set to enlist – 10% of them, 350 women, will enter combat service, including about 20 graduates of religious women's seminaries. Sources familiar with the matter told Makor Rishon that the October 7 events led to a significant increase in the desire of women from the religious sector to enlist in the army in general and for combat service in particular.

Figures in the religious community, noting that nearly a third of young women enlisting for combat roles were joining the Border Police, approached the IDF and suggested opening a gender-segregated combat framework. The army agreed to the idea, and in recent weeks, plans for establishing a company have begun to take shape, with details gradually being finalized.

The gender-segregated company will be affiliated with the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. Its staff will be composed entirely of women, and they will receive spiritual support and guidance. Rabbi Ohad Teharlev, head of Midreshet Lindenbaum, is advising and accompanying the company's establishment. It appears that a female halakhic authority will receive a reserve duty position to provide closer guidance to the combat soldiers, including two weekly lessons.

WOW! For the first time ever, women are joining Israel's elite Yahalom combat unit, taking on terror tunnels and demolitions! pic.twitter.com/kRlZyrPZFD

— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) April 18, 2024

 So far, about 30 pre-enlistment women have expressed interest in joining the company as early as the upcoming August recruitment cycle. The idea is to create a supportive framework that will neutralize the challenging halakhic and spiritual issues that arise in mixed-gender service.

Before enlistment, all women slated to join the new gender-segregated framework will attend a preparation day at the induction center, a kind of "religious assessment," involving the Meitav unit, the accompanying team, and the Military Rabbinate. Until then, one can join the company by contacting Meitav, and any young woman who identifies as religious is eligible to join.

The post Religious women's IDF combat unit established appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

President Isaac Herzog made history on Monday when he picked Col. N. to serve as his military secretary – making her the first woman ever appointed to the role.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

N., 40, will be promoted to brigadier-general.

N. has served in the IDF for 22 years in numerous field and office roles in the Intelligence Corps. For the last year and a half, she has been the IDF Central Command's intelligence officer.

Herzog congratulated her on her appointment, saying, "Glass ceilings are being smashed every day in Israel, and I'm proud that during my time in the President's Residence, another one is being broken by a worthy and promising officer."

N.'s appointment comes after the IDF has promoted a number of other women to key roles, including two who have achieved the rank of major-general: Orly Markman, who was recently made president of the IDF Military Court of Appeals and who will receive her new insignia in a ceremony next Monday; and Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Military Advocate General.

Prior to Markman and Tomer-Yerushalmi's promotions, only one other woman had made it to major-general – MK Orna Barbivai.

Also on Monday, two women were promoted to brigadier-general. The first was Noa Zomer, who will serve as deputy president of the Military Court of Appeals. Zomer, who holds a BA and an MA in law from Bar-Ilan University, joined the IDF Military Prosecutor's Office after completing a special deferred service track for future officers and has served in several roles during her time in the army.

The second woman promoted to brigadier-general on Monday was Dr. Hadas Minka Brand, head of the IDF Behavioral Sciences Department. Minka Brand is considered a close associated of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi.

Despite moves in recent years to promote more women to the military's highest ranks, the top jobs are still staffed by men only. This is due in part to the fact that while 86% of IDF jobs are open to women, the toughest combat roles are still male-only.

After a number of women cadets petitioned the High Court of Justice to be allowed to serve in all combat positions, the IDF set up a special committee under Ground Forces commander Maj. Gen. Yoav Strick to evaluate the state of women's service in the IDF. The committee has yet to publish its conclusions.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Herzog's pick for military secretary makes history appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The debate in the IDF about integrating women into combat units continues at full force, along with a similar one on social media. Some think that women shouldn't be in the army at all, others believe that they should serve on the home front, while others think that women's combat service should be restricted to less dangerous zones. And some believe that all roles in the IDF should be open to women, who should be assigned based on their abilities, not their gender.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

But there is one group that isn't getting upset over the discourse – the women serving in combat units, who are the ones establishing facts on the ground day after day. Or as Sgt. Ofir Weingold, a technician in the 53^rd Armored Battalion who just finished a long deployment on the Gaza border – where she was serving during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May – puts it, "Going into battle? There's no way I'm staying behind. It won't happen."

Every day, female soldiers – some in combat roles, some in combat support roles – work side by side with the men. Sometimes, they are the only women in their respective companies, and they prove that opposition to their doing these jobs is rooted in nothing more than stereotypes.

"My name's Ofir. I'm 20, from Barkan. When I was drafted, I joined the Technology and Maintenance Corps, and after basic training and the tank course I was assigned to the 53^rd Battalion," she says. Weingold serves in a unit that fixes the tanks' sophisticated technology, and in times of war, these soldiers can be called into enemy territory to make repairs, even under fire.

"I was the first girl who joined a company of male combat soldiers, and there's no doubt they were a little in shock at first, but slowly we started to realize the advantages – like order and organization, and a different viewpoint," Weingold says.

Lately, the 53^rd Battalion has been training intensively on the Golan Heights after seven months on the Gaza border.

"We worked hard there, under fire, day and night. It was a challenge, no doubt," Weingold says. "Our work is definitely hard, but we aren't afraid of hard work. A little rain, a little mud, but it's all OK."

During Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF began preparations for a possible ground incursion into the Gaza Strip, which did not happen. However, much to Weingold's dismay, even if the IDF had gone into Gaza, she would not have been part of the operation, as the military's directive for the integration of women in combat currently does not allow lone female soldiers from her unit to enter enemy territory in an APC.

"I'm classed as a level 3 rifleman, a combat soldier, and I can cross the border, and if there was an incursion and there was another female soldier or officer, I could go in. I'd want to, definitely. When I was in the middle of all the craziness I said that if there was a ground incursion I'd 100% be part of it, there was no way I'd stay behind – it wouldn't happen. At a certain stage I was given leave during the operation and I turned it down. I said there was no way the soldiers would go through it without me. I stayed with them," she says.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Staff Sgt. Daniel Hatan, 19, a company medic at the 9^th Armored Battalion's training base, isn't afraid of the idea of going into battle, either. She is even happy to have been moved up from her initial job in combat intelligence.

"At the start of my combat service I went through border infantry training, but then I realized that I was less suited to what went on there and asked for another job. They offered me a chance to join a new pilot that would put female medics into armored combat units. They even told me it would be easy because I was already considered a combat soldier and if things got real, I would be sent across the border," Hatan says.

"I think there are women who are really cut out to be in combat and can do everything, which is great. But I don't think it needs to come at the expense of professionalism – you need to look closely and make sure that every female combat soldier has the right character, because it's still a battalion full of guys. I believe that there are women who can do the job just as well, or even better," she says.

"I've had to carry a few tank soldiers on stretchers, and it wasn't easy, but the exhausting part of the job is the routine medical care. I don't regret the path I've chosen. I've experienced things I never would have anywhere else, and I recommend that girls that fit the job do what I did."

Cpl. Hadar Simchon, 19, serves on a rocket launcher in the 334^th Artillery Battalion, and doesn't regret having chosen the role for a moment.

"At first, I wanted to join the special forces and I hadn't heard of the rockets, but when I found out about it, I got excited," she says.

Simchon and her comrades operated an MLRS rocket launches that can cover areas as big as a soccer field and help batter the enemy. "It's an insane tool with enormous power," she says.

Her artillery battalion is now in the midst of training on the Golan Heights. "We practice using the equipment … drill everything that could happen in war."

According to Simchon, the men and women in the battalion do exactly the same jobs. "The advantage of the MLRS is that you don't need to lift the shells, so the equality is notable – everyone does exactly the same thing," she says.

The post 'Do you think we won't go into battle?' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Israeli Air Force flight school has appointed its first female squadron commander, Maj. Y.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

In 2010, Y. began the IAF's 165^th flight course, which she completed as a combat navigator. Y. progressed to a number of different operational roles and became the first female navigator to serve as deputy commander of an IAF combat squadron.

In her new role, Y. will be in charge of the WSO (weapons systems operator) squadron, the IDF reported.

She's flying through the glass ceiling

Congratulations to Maj. Y., who just became the first woman squadron commander in the IAF's Flight School.

Yesterday, Maj. Y. assumed command of the WSO (Weapons Systems Operator) Squadron. pic.twitter.com/CxtyKxhtlp

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 25, 2021

The IAF in recent years has appointed a number of women to command positions. Approximately two years ago, Maj. G. became the first woman in the IAF to command a flight squadron. Two months ago, Lt. Col. Revital Barzani became the first woman to command an air defense battalion.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post In another IAF first, woman placed in charge of flight school squadron appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Capt. Ophir Huri made history a few months ago when she was appointed the first female commander of the Israeli Navy's Snapir Unit in Haifa. Snapir is tasked with securing Israeli civilian and military ports and protecting them from threats on land as well as above and underwater. In addition to Haifa, the unit has two other independent branches in Ashdod and Eilat.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter 

Along with securing ports from terrorists at sea, the men and women fighters board cargo ships and examine them for any signs of terrorist activity. This is a particularly significant threat as terrorists can use the vessels to transport weapons, other terrorists, and even bombs for carrying out an attack. Should Snapir fighters fail to identify such a threat in real time, there will be nothing to stop them from entering Israeli territory and putting lives at risk. Israel's submarine platform is also located in Haifa, which adds to the strategic threat.

Huri completed her Naval Officers Course in 2018. She most recently commanded a Devora-class fast-patrol boat, where she served with dozens of male officers. Around six months ago, Huri took command of the Snapir unit in Haifa, which operates under the command of the Navy's 914th Division.

"The unit is charged with maintaining security of the northern border and ports. This means preventing the intrusion of hostile elements into the port and specific, pointed missions on the northern border," Huri explains. The Snapir Unit unit in Haifa operates as part of Party 914, which protects the northern region at sea. 

"We are on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and perform dedicated missions on top of Tzira [defender-class] boats," she says.

"We operate dozens of male and female fighters, 40% of whom are women. This is a boutique unit that is ready for whatever is necessary. We are always on alert … no matter the time, on holidays, on Shabbat. We're always ready to go on any mission in a matter of seconds," she said.

Asked about her historic role, Huri said: "I'm less of a believer in the glass-feeling concept. In my six years in the navy, I never sensed there was any limitation because I am a woman. From my standpoint, there is nothing unusual about it, and now the time has come to get to work and focus less on the headlines. I understand why people are focusing on it, but I have a dream that we won't need to focus on it at all – that we'll just let integration be something legitimate. I feel that ultimately, objectives were achieved. This is a position for naval officers, and there's no reason I shouldn't carry it out. I hope the day comes when it won't seem unusual and won't be a big deal," she said.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Israeli Navy's Snapir Unit gets first-ever female commander appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

When the IDF Paratroopers 890th Battalion Aid Station was given orders to move south and join ground maneuvers planned during Operation Guardian of the Walls, Lt. Dr. Nofit Shmuel's heart began to pound.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

She collected her soldiers, asked them to prepare bags with all the medical equipment they'd need, and informed paramedics and reservists to be ready for a call-up should the need arise. "Be ready for war," was the message.

A few hours later, Shmuel, 28, was on her way to a briefing in the western Negev. On route, there were constant rocket alerts, but they didn't bother here. Nor did concerns about entering enemy territory, or the possibility of being taken captive. All she was thinking about was her soldiers' level of training and well-being, and that her battalion aid station perform at its best.

"When I decided I was going to serve as a doctor in the military, I knew I wanted to be in the field and save lives," Shmuel says. "If it's not in the field, it's not being a doctor, as far as I'm concerned."

Six months ago, Shmuel became the first female combat doctor in an IDF Paratroopers division, and only the second to serve in that capacity in the IDF ground forces. By doing so, she is helping pave the way for other women to serve in combat roles that were previously barred to them.

"There's no such thing as 'limits,'" she says. "Limits are only in your head, and if you get rid of them there, you'll continue to move ahead without anything stopping you. My mom always told me I could do whatever I wanted. When I was a kid, I wanted to be able to say, 'You can do it,' because I could."

Q: Still, going into Gaza is scary. Very.

"Fears are natural, especially when the fighting is supposed to be taking place on their turf, but I don't talk about those fears. The various abduction scenarios are there at the subconscious level, but I didn't really have time to sit and think about what would happen if God forbid something went wrong and I was taken. These thoughts only let in fear, and fear detracts from resilience and confidence."

Eventually, Shmuel and her battalion aid station were scrambled to help with the rioting that erupted in northern Israel, near Metulla.

"I don't feel like I missed anything or disappointment about not going into Gaza. At the end of the day, my job is to take care of the soldiers' lives. I'm not looking for adventures that will cost lives, because that's what would have happened if we'd gone in [to Gaza]. I just want my soldiers to come back safe," she says.

Shmuel talks to Israel Hayom at "Little Gaza," a mock-up of an urban warfare scene at Tzeelim Base, considered the biggest of its kind in the world. It was built to mimic the streets and alleys of Gaza – with mosques, burned-out cars, and Arabic graffiti. Shmuel walks toward us, separating from a group of a few dozen equipment-laden troops. Her small figure is jarring, but she smiles.

"I have a lot of different sides. I can be the girliest in the world and wear heels and makeup, and I can be the most extreme combatant," she says.

When she asked the soldiers to circle around for a briefing to lead off a drill of a mass-casualty event, her voice is authoritative, and she speaks clearly and succinctly.

"Today, we'll practice opening veins, treating the wounded, and triage," she tells them, instructing some of them to smear themselves with fake blood. "Be concentrated and thorough. Today, it's just a drill, but tomorrow you could find yourselves doing it for real, with the lives of the soldiers next to you in your hands," she says.

From one of the structures in the training facility, we can already see a few soldiers lying on the ground, their faces, hands, legs, and stomachs liberally marked with fake blood. They yell with pain and plead for aid. Shmuel approaches the first soldier she meets, and instructs the medic about how to deal with a wounded soldier in field conditions – how to place a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and how to check for wounds that might not be immediately visible.

"It's great that there's a doctor in the field in real time, but the first person they encounter there are themselves, so that's why this drill is so important. Every combat soldier carries a tourniquet, and in real time, in a second, he can stop bleeding. The more we drill possible scenarios, the less likely they'll be to freeze in a real mass casualty event. If I have two medics who can't get to a vein, the drill will continue until they succeed," Shmuel explains.

After an hour, Shmuel deems the drill a success. She is visibly proud of how her soldiers conducted themselves, and they love her.

"She's with us through fire and water. I can't imagine the battalion aid station without her," says one of the medics.

"If there's anyone I'd want with me in an emergency or a war, it's her," another one chimes in.

"I'm 28, and they're like my little brothers," Shmuel smiles. "I know all the soldiers from all the companies and they feel very comfortable with me, and often come to me for advice on all sorts of personal issues, so I know I fit in well and they see me as one of their own."

Shmuel was born in Beersheba in April 1993, the oldest daughter of parents who made aliyah from India. Her father, Yitzhak, 59, who works at a fertilizer factory and as a driving teacher, arrived in Israel at age three. Her mother, Nurit, 53, made aliyah when she was 15.

Shmuel has three siblings: Adir, 26, a computer engineering student; Orel, 22, a fashion design student; and Tohar, 14.

She lives in Beersheba with her partner, Levy Brown, 28, an American who arrived in Israel as a lone soldier from North Carolina and served in the 401st Armored Division. They intend to get married next year. They have a Husky, Roy, who has blue eyes.

"I met Levy after he was out of the army and I was on vacation after my sixth year of medical school and my internship," Shmuel says. "That same day, I fought with my sister Tohar, and to work off some energy I went to a climbing wall in Beersheba with her. She's a member of the climbing team.

"At some point she disappeared on me. It turned out she'd gone to pet some dog. It was something we'd always dreamed of, but because my dad's allergic [to dogs] we couldn't have one. Suddenly, Levy arrived as asked me if it was my dog … He smiled and his smile enchanted me. That moment, I knew he'd be my husband, that he was the sunshine of my life."

Q: Love at first sight?

"That's exactly it. We started to talk and I felt like we'd known each other all our lives. We both like extreme sports, we both traveled in Iceland, we've both parachuted. He also felt an insane connection, and when my mom came to pick us up I told her I'd get back on my own.

"A few hours later, when he dropped me off, he said that he was supposed to go back to the US in three weeks to start studying structural engineering. We managed to go on a date, and I asked him to stay, but he said it was impossible. We decided to stay in touch long distance and meet on vacations. After a few weeks, he told me he loved me, and after seven months apart and after he finished his first semester, she came to Israel and just stayed with me. A week later we moved in together, and today he's studying structural engineering at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba."

Even as a child, Shmuel was an excellent student.

"I learned to read when I was in nursery school, and the teacher told my parents that I was advanced for my age," she says. "I would put together difficult puzzles and wouldn't leave them until I was finished. My parents didn't withhold anything from me. Every time something new came out, they'd rush and buy it for me. Even know, I remember the electronic encyclopedia they bought me. When I got to school and I'd show them a good grade, they always asked why it wasn't higher. Every year, I'd get a certificate of excellence, and my father would frame it. He has a large collection of my certificates."

Q: In your free time, were you a tomboy?

"Not at all. You'd never expect me to wind up in combat. I was a classic 'girl.' I played with Barbies until I was older and kept out of the sandbox. Still, I always felt there were other sides to me. I was great at sports and I really loved paintball. I wasn't in a youth movement, but on school field trips I always walked up front with the guide. I was very opinionated. It's wasn't easy to define me."

In high school, Shmuel was in a gifted class on a science track, and was sent to take part in gifted programs at the Weizmann Institute.

"It was a three-year program in which we met with the greatest researchers in Israel," she says. "I helped with research on AIDS and cancer that that gave me another five points on my matriculation certificate, in addition to the five points [highest-level exams] I did in biology, physics, math, and English."

When she was 12, she decided to become a doctor after first learning about the human body.

"I had an encyclopedia about the human body that there was a picture of a surgeon holding a real heart. From that moment, every time I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never said a teacher or a dancer like the other girls, I said I wanted to be a surgeon and hold a heart in my hands."

When Shmuel turned 18, she realized that she was closer than ever to realizing her dream. She was invited to the prestigious medical military deferment track [in which the IDF pays for medical school for selected candidates and they sign on as officers after their studies] and decided that was the direction for her. "At the conference to introduce us to the track five doctors from combat units spoke with us, and I remember sitting there and looking at the entire panel and there wasn't even one female doctor there. I told myself that one day, I'd be there."

Focused on her goal, Shmuel declined invitations to try out for some of the most-desired programs in the IDF, putting all her eggs in the medical school basket.

After earning a high enough grade on her entrance exam and passing the interview stage, she received the notification that she'd been accepted. "It was in September 2012, a day after Yom Kippur. I was so happy, because as far as I was concerned, the track was the way to make it to medicine and save soldiers' lives," she says.

On Oct. 10, 2012, she enlisted in the IDF, receiving both a soldier's ID and proof of deferment, and headed for the medical school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

"I was in the fourth class of the Tzameret [Peak] program and was studying alongside regular [post-military] medical students," she says. "Those were very tough, very intense years. The difficulty wasn't just because of the studies. Think about it – between my first and second year, instead of resting, I was in basic training, and between the second and third year I did officers training; and between the third and fourth year, the medic's course. In addition, we had special courses and technical lessons about military medicine like naval medicine or air medicine, lectures on new studies about treating battlefield wounds, all on our vacations. There was no time to breathe."

"For seven years of studies, your life is on hold, and in the end, you're facing a long military service."

In her second year of medical school, then-IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz came to lecture Shmuel and her comrades. "One of the questions I asked him was why female IDF doctors weren't assigned to combat units. His answer was that physiologically, they weren't equal to the men. I remember that I told myself, 'No way," and decided, again, that I wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than combat medicine."

Q: How did you become such a fighter? Did you always want to break down barriers?

"I come from a home in which Zionism was very strong. It didn't matter how hard it was for my parents. They never said a bad word about the country, and that's something I absorbed from the day I was born."

"What's more, my father fought in the Armored Corps during the first Lebanon War, and every time he'd meet with his friend, I'd listen to his army stories. It always thrilled me. My mother grew up in a religious home, so she didn't go into the army. My brother Adir served in a technical role in the IAF and my sister Orel was at a religious high school, so she did national service. So you could say I'm the 'most combat' at our house."

In her sixth year of medical school, Shmuel was part of a medical student exchange at a trauma center in Baltimore, where she fulfilled her dream of holding a human heart. "I was there for about a month with three other students from my class. It was a very advanced trauma center, and every hour someone would come in with a gunshot wound.

"One day, when I was on the cardiovascular surgery unit, there was a heart transplant. When I realized I was about to hold a heart, I was so excited. It was beyond my every expectation, and I even had a picture taken that was just like the picture in the book I saw when I was 12."

Upon returning to Israel from Baltimore, Shmuel began a surgical residency at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, but eventually opted to specialize in plastic surgery.

"I transferred to the plastic surgery department at Hadassh Ein Karem. The first surgery [I did] was on a hand and the second one was a corrective surgery for a cleft palate on a little girl. I fell in love with it immediately and decided I wanted to fix birth defects in children. In that department I was also exposed to doctors who had served as combat doctors in the army. The department head had been a doctor with the Shayetet 13 Unit and his deputy was with the Sayeret Matkal. They were more commanding that more daring than the doctors who weren't from that background," she recalls.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

On April 4, 2020, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, Shmuel started her military service. "Suddenly, at age 27, I was going home on weekend leave and wearing a uniform all the time. It was tough. Also, there was a lot of competition for the assignments I wanted and that brought with it a lot of tension."

At the end of her training, assignments opened up, including on with the 890th Paratroops Battalion.

Shmuel, who realized that was her chance to become a combat doctor, reached out to the battalion commander and told him she wasn't willing to compromise on anything less than serving there. "I knew that as far as the exams had gone, I'd passed with flying colors, but even at that stage, there was only one female combat doctor, who was in Givati. I didn't mean to miss my chance."

Q: Did you feel they would have preferred to choose a male doctor?

"I felt that because the job had always gone to men, the natural choice would be a man. I knew that a brave step needed to be taken to break through that barrier, and I knew I was no less good than any male doctor who was there and there was no reason for them not to take me. When I was summoned for an interview with the deputy chief medical officer, I told him that it was my mission. He asked if it would be too hard for me to be far from home and dragging weight around, and I told him no, that I could do anything I would need to."

Q: Did that question make you mad?

"Questions like that always come up. Frequently, they made it a point to stress that the paratroopers go deep into enemy territory when they need to, and wanted to know if I would. I always said that if I'm the battalion's doctor in ordinary times, I'm their doctor in war, too. After the interview with the battalion commander, who is a big supporter of integrating women into combat roles, I got my answer, and couldn't stop crying from joy."

In October 2020, Shmuel reported for service with the 890th Battalion, just in time for a drill in the north of Israel.

For three days, she marched alongside the soldiers, day and night, climbed Mount Hermon with equipment on her back, wore blister on her feet that caused all the skin to peel off, and also treated all the soldiers who were injured, became dehydrated, or passed out. For her, it was baptism by fire in which she proved to everyone that she was worthy of the job, and most importantly – that they could depend on her.

"Those were three really intensive days. I was short of sleep, I lived on battle rations, I didn't shower, and I slept in the field with the soldiers," she says. "The battalion chief medical officer was always referring injured soldiers to me, while I was injured myself, and still, I didn't break and I never took a ride, not once."

Q: Did you feel that you needed to prove yourself?

"Yes, but not because I'm a woman, but because I was new. I always feel like the burden of proof is one me, with everything."

Q: How did the soldiers accept you?

"At first, they were skeptical. On the second day, they explained how to treat feet that wouldn't stop bleeding because of the peeling skin. They told me that the most helpful thing was to stick on medical gauze and ignore the pain, and that's what I did. It takes mental strength to ignore pain, and when the drill ended, all their doubts disappeared, and they told me I was awesome and went the entire way with them, without hopping on the Hummer even once, or fainting. It was the moment they saw me as a combat soldier, one of their own."

When the drill was over, Shmuel and the rest of the battalion took up positions near Mount Dov on the northern border, and she became the first woman to serve in the area, which has been a bone of contention since the IDF withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. The question of who controls it has frequently prompted Hezbollah to attack IDF outposts in the area, as well as border communities, and carry out a number of attempted breaches of the border fence as well as attempted abductions.

Q: What was the day like at the outpost?

"In the day, I'd give any medical treatment that was required, and at 2:30 a.m. I'd get up and go out for a quiet patrol with the soldiers to prevent incursions. One time, we caught a shepherd who had crossed the border into Israel."

Q: Were you in life-threatening situations?

"Every action there is life-threatening. The territorial outcroppings are right up against the border, which is hilly territory with thick fog, so the security cameras don't always pick up on everything that's happening. Almost every time I walked in the wadi, I'd see Hezbollah soldiers watching us from across the border. There used to be plenty of border breaches by terrorists, and more than once they'd put bombs on the road. But not while I was there, fortunately.

"Recently, we were deployed in Judea and Samaria and there were life-threatening situations like having Molotov cocktails thrown at us, shooting attacks, and rioting. Rioting can go from zero to 100 in seconds.

"The operational incident that most sticks out in my minds took place during Guardian of the Walls, when we were sent to the north after mortars were fired on Israel. It was an operation by combined forces. We wore ceramic vests and carried full equipment through a minefield with our weapons loaded, ready for any scenario. The goal was to stop anyone who tried to cross the border during the riots, and we knew that in the crowd, there were Hezbollah operatives and we were exposed to sniper fire.

"Of course, I was the only female fighter in the field, among dozens of male soldiers, and I won't forget the look of astonishment from the Yahalom soldiers when they realized I'd be alongside them. They asked if it was regulation for me to be there. In situations like that, you're totally focused on the mission, and there's no room for fear."

In March 2021, Shmuel had a chance to complete a jump course. Unfortunately, she was injured hours before her first scheduled jump.

"Apparently, the drill we'd been doing injured one of my vertebrae, but I hadn't managed to check it out. I'd been looking forward to the jump and was awfully disappointed. I cried about missing out, but I have no doubt I'll jump on the next course."

Q: Do you feel that you're breaking down barriers?

"Absolutely. Every woman who does a job like this gives other women strength and courage. I have no doubt that the next time they want to assign a woman to this role, it will be easier, and women will dare more to request combat roles.

"You need to understand that the only limitations are in our heads, not our gender. It all depends on how strong you are mentally to do things that the environment says you aren't capable of doing. I'm waiting for the day when women in combat will be something routine, and there won't be any need to write articles about it. That will be a great feeling of victory."  

The post A red beret and a stethoscope appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

For the first time in Israeli history, female combat intelligence soldiers have been deployed to the front line on the Lebanon border, which is currently Israel's most volatile one.

The soldiers are tasked with collecting precision intelligence via drones, a new capability for Israel's forces in that sector.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Until now, the IDF has refrained from sending female soldiers to the Lebanese border. But approximately two months ago, the military decided to open the 869^th combat intelligence battalion, "Shachaf," to an all-female section that specializes in drone intelligence collection.

"We double the forces in the sector. No one in the area knows how to use drones, certainly not at our level, so we are considered forces in high demand," explains Lt. Nurit Rokach, commander of the new section.

An official in the IDF Northern Command confirmed that the drone section was a game-changer for the sector.

"The female soldiers are able to operate the new technologies in an outstanding manner, and we have absolute faith in them," the official said.

Meanwhile, the soldiers and officers know that they have broken a glass ceiling in terms of the public's perception of where women can be deployed, but among themselves, they say there is no difference between them and their male comrades.

"It's not something we think about on a daily basis," Rokach says, adding that "Both male and female combat intelligence soldiers provide the first response in real time, so we need to operate on two levels – to provide the intelligence, and also the first response in the field. No other fighting force has that capability."

The drone section is attached to the Adir Company, which has been operating on the Lebanese border for the past eight months.

Company commander Capt. Barak Choi says that "In the last two months, we've doubled our tools, with new and varied capabilities, including drones."

Choi says that the addition of the female soldiers has not adversely affected operations in any way. "It doesn't carry an operational cost. The opposite – the section meets an operational need."

Sgt. Keren Mor has been serving in this role for a year, and has been with the new section for a few months. She sees her deployment as a mission: "We do everything to become as familiar as we can with the territory and the enemy – and provide the highest-level solution to the demands in the field."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post In another first, IDF deploys female soldiers to northern front   appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A pair of female IDF soldiers, Cpl. Neomy Levy Ashkenazy and Cpl. Sapir Agiv, say they will petition the High Court of Justice if they are not allowed to try out for the elite Duvdevan Unit.

Agiv, a religiously observant woman, was dropped from the Israeli Navy's officers training course and is claiming she is being discriminated against because of her gender, as men who are dropped from naval officers' training are allowed to try out for Duvdevan, a special forces unit that is focused on undercover urban warfare, and if they make the cut, can begin the unit's grueling training course.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

A letter sent by Agiv's attorney, Yinor Bertental, points out that another highly classified IDF unit whose activity is similar to that of Duvdevan accepts women candidates.

"However, inexplicably, service in a nearly identical role in the IDF remains closed to women," the letter states.

In a post on her Facebook page, Agiv wrote, "I still can't get my mind around it – if I was with guys up to this point, if I met the same challenges they did and succeeded I the same physical challenges they did, there is no reason why I shouldn't have the chance to transfer to an elite unit like they do, because I'm a 'girl.'"

Bertental said, "The IDF still hasn't understood that there is no average women, just like there is no average man. The army's mistaken choice to sort and assign personnel based on gender identity groups effectively creates a glass ceiling for women."

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued a response to the corporals' demand: "In accordance with a decision by the chief of staff, since June 2020 a team of experts headed by the ground forces commander has been looking into the possibility of integrating women in more combat roles. At this time, female soldiers whose participation in naval officers training was stopped have the possibility of taking on a number of significant roles, including combat roles in which women currently serve."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Female soldiers poised to sue if not allowed to try out for elite undercover unit appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The four teenage girls, who are about to begin their military service, petitioned the High Court of Justice in May to order the military to open screening tests for all combat units to women.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Eighteen-year-old petitioners Mika Kliger, Mor Lidani, Gali Nishri, and Omer Saria, said they hoped Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi would allow all potential recruits to try out for elite commando units, regardless of their gender.

"We're not asking that demands be changed for us – just let us try out and if we qualify, let us join the units," Lidani said.

The IDF has until July 20 to respond to the petition. On Sunday, as stated, the former Sayeret Matkal commander and his deputy, whose names cannot be made public, gave the court their professional opinions on the matter, saying they support the petitioners' demand. All women who meet the physical and mental standards for serving in these units, they said, should be allowed to serve in them, just like men.

Their opinion, which was presented by the petitioners' attorneys, stated: "We believe that women can successfully serve as fighters in Sayeret Matkal and that their integration as fighters would provide unique and significant contributions both operationally and organizationally, to Sayeret Matkal in particular and to the IDF in general.

"Today, Sayeret Matkal cannot maximize the potential value [in terms of human resources] because the unit restricts enlistment to men only. Sayeret Matkal was established according to the vision of trailblazing warriors; we can assume that were it created today – the unit and its training course would certainly be opened equally to men and women to capitalize on the full potential our country has to offer."

The former commander and his deputy said they believe future generations of female warriors would one day command the unit.

"We believe that just as generations of [male] fighters developed and progressed to fill senior command and management positions in the army and beyond, we will also see generations of female fighters become commanders in Sayeret Matkal, lead a diverse array of teams, and proceed to occupy senior positions in the IDF and Israeli society," they said.

The IDF currently allows women to join several combat units via three mixed-gender battalions: Caracal, a light infantry force that is made up of 70% female soldiers; the Lions of Jordan Battalion and the Bardelas Battalion.

The IDF commando canine unit, Oketz, also drafts females as combat soldiers.

The testimony provided by the former Sayeret Matkal commander and his deputy significantly bolsters the petition to allow women to test for the army's most exclusive, grueling and dangerous units under the same criteria set for male recruits.

If they meet all the same physical and mental standards as their male counterparts, the petitioners argue, it is illegal to deny them the opportunity, based on their gender, to serve in those units in a combat role.

The four petitioners are described as exceptional athletes. The father of one of the petitioners served in the navy's elite commando unit, Shayetet 13. Two of the petitioners are experienced marathoners.

Attorney Yanor Bertental, who helped file the petition, said: "The clear and unequivocal statement from the Sayeret Matkal commander and his former deputy strengthens the petition and our request from the IDF chief of staff to open all the army's units to women."

The IDF declined to comment on the matter.

In May, after the petition was first filed, Labor MK Merav Michaeli tweeted: "The IDF is the last Western army in the world that screens people according to their gender and not their abilities. Let's hope the High Court makes sure the IDF stops this humiliation and waste of potential human resources."

According to a study by the Israel Democracy Institute, the number of female combat soldiers in the ground forces has increased exponentially since 2012, when they were first drafted into combat units, reaching up to 2,656 in 2017, while the percentage of female soldiers serving in clerical positions declined.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Women should be allowed to join IDF's elite commando unit, former commander says appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The poll, conducted on behalf of the IDI by Panels Ltd., polled 500 male and female soldiers who are currently serving in the IDF or recently completed their service about an IDF directive ordering women to be integrated into combat service and to what extent that directive causes friction with religious male soldiers.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Despite the controversy sparked when the IDF issued the directive last year, 73.2% of respondents said that they had little or no knowledge of it, with 43.3% saying they had never heard of the directive at all. Only 15.8% of respondents said they were well-versed in the directive and had been briefed on it during their service.

Those who oppose integrating women into combat roles argue that it would harm the IDF's operational abilities, Soldiers, however, tended to disagree. Two-thirds (66.6%) of respondents said they disagreed that mixed-gender combat service was detrimental to operations, compared to 30.6% who said they disagreed. Nearly half (49.4%) said mixed-gender service posed no hardships to either gender, while 39.4% said that mixed-gender service made day-to-day life in the army more complicated.

The poll also questioned soldiers about tension created by women serving alongside religious soldiers: 77.8% of respondents said that religious soldiers in combat units were not required to carry out any actions that demanded physical contact with their female comrades, and another 66.4% said that they had not experienced incidents in which female soldiers were barred from any areas of bases because of the presence of religious male soldiers.

When asked if female soldiers were banned from wearing shorts or tank tops, 43.6% said that such cases happened infrequently or not at all, with 49.4% saying they had encountered such bans with varying frequency.

More than half (52%) of respondents said that their units addressed the needs of female soldiers and religious male soldiers equally, compared to 26% who said that more consideration was given to religious male soldiers. When asked about the overall situation in the IDF, 39% said that the two groups were treated equally, compared to 37% who thought that the army paid more attention to the demands of religious male soldiers than to those of female soldiers.

Dr. Idit Shafran Gittleman, a researcher with the Center for Security and Democracy at the IDI, said that the poll "indicates a need to inculcate the [mixed-gender] directive and implement it as stated. The data also shows that there are gaps in the positions of the two sides when it comes to gender equality, and these are expressed in a very broad interpretation of the directive, which leads [it] away from its principles."

The post What do IDF troops think about women serving in combat? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.