Redheart
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Womens combat roles in Israel Defense Forces exaggerated, military traditionalists say - Washington Times
Military traditionalists say women’s combat roles in the Israel Defense Forces are exaggerated by advocates in the U.S., noting as an example a recent IDF decision to keep Israeli women from serving on main battle tanks.
As the U.S. military prepares to open most, if not all, infantry, armor and special operations units to women, activists often point to the IDF as an illustration of a military in which women are thriving in ground combat units.
But a closer look shows Israeli women are not in direct combat special operations such as the Green Berets. Nor are they in front-line combat brigades mobilized to engage in direct heavy combat.
In the infantry, virtually all of Israel’s female combat soldiers are confined to two light battalions — the Caracal and the Lions of Jordan — which are assigned to guard the borders with Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab countries that have peace treaties with Israel.
“Uniformed Israeli women patrol the borders or help to train men for combat positions, but these important missions do not involve direct ground combat, meaning deliberate offensive action against the enemy,” said Elaine Donnelly, who heads the Center for Military Readiness. “None of America’s allies, much less potential adversaries, are treating women like men in the combat arms.”
Israeli women’s assignments are far more restrictive than the roles envisioned by advocates in the United States who anticipate an American military that opens all ground combat units to women, be they Navy SEALs or Army Green Berets or the Marine infantry or Army Brigade Combat Teams. All are deployed to engage in tough, close-in fighting for hours and days at a time.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will make decisions by Jan. 1 and already has said most, if not all, units will be opened.
U.S. advocates also want women assigned to armor units, operating M1A1 main battle tanks.
Here, too, Israel has taken a different route. The Israeli Ynet news service last week reported that the IDF studied the suggestion of women in tanks and rejected the idea based on physical shortcomings compared with men. Ynet also said the study found as problematic putting men and women in the intimate close quarters of a tank for days at a time.
Ynet quoted a defense official as saying, “Integrating female soldiers into tanks was harmful.”
“The decision not to assign Israeli women to armored tanks in the IDF is based on reality, not myths that often surround these discussions,” Mrs. Donnelly said.
The Times of Israel said the IDF provided a statement that read, in part, that the “possibility of opening additional combat positions to girls is being tested all the time.” As of today, “infantry and the armored corps were ruled out for women.”
The Times of Israel reported that the army announced a plan in October to train women as tank commanders, with men serving as drivers, loaders and gunners.
With that plan canceled, the IDF now wants to increase the number of women in units already opened to them — fighter pilots, field intelligence, artillery and the two co-ed border patrol battalions.
Military traditionalists say women’s combat roles in the Israel Defense Forces are exaggerated by advocates in the U.S., noting as an example a recent IDF decision to keep Israeli women from serving on main battle tanks.
As the U.S. military prepares to open most, if not all, infantry, armor and special operations units to women, activists often point to the IDF as an illustration of a military in which women are thriving in ground combat units.
But a closer look shows Israeli women are not in direct combat special operations such as the Green Berets. Nor are they in front-line combat brigades mobilized to engage in direct heavy combat.
In the infantry, virtually all of Israel’s female combat soldiers are confined to two light battalions — the Caracal and the Lions of Jordan — which are assigned to guard the borders with Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab countries that have peace treaties with Israel.
“Uniformed Israeli women patrol the borders or help to train men for combat positions, but these important missions do not involve direct ground combat, meaning deliberate offensive action against the enemy,” said Elaine Donnelly, who heads the Center for Military Readiness. “None of America’s allies, much less potential adversaries, are treating women like men in the combat arms.”
Israeli women’s assignments are far more restrictive than the roles envisioned by advocates in the United States who anticipate an American military that opens all ground combat units to women, be they Navy SEALs or Army Green Berets or the Marine infantry or Army Brigade Combat Teams. All are deployed to engage in tough, close-in fighting for hours and days at a time.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will make decisions by Jan. 1 and already has said most, if not all, units will be opened.
U.S. advocates also want women assigned to armor units, operating M1A1 main battle tanks.
Here, too, Israel has taken a different route. The Israeli Ynet news service last week reported that the IDF studied the suggestion of women in tanks and rejected the idea based on physical shortcomings compared with men. Ynet also said the study found as problematic putting men and women in the intimate close quarters of a tank for days at a time.
Ynet quoted a defense official as saying, “Integrating female soldiers into tanks was harmful.”
“The decision not to assign Israeli women to armored tanks in the IDF is based on reality, not myths that often surround these discussions,” Mrs. Donnelly said.
The Times of Israel said the IDF provided a statement that read, in part, that the “possibility of opening additional combat positions to girls is being tested all the time.” As of today, “infantry and the armored corps were ruled out for women.”
The Times of Israel reported that the army announced a plan in October to train women as tank commanders, with men serving as drivers, loaders and gunners.
With that plan canceled, the IDF now wants to increase the number of women in units already opened to them — fighter pilots, field intelligence, artillery and the two co-ed border patrol battalions.
