Stir Over Female Combat Soldiers in Israel

Brigade commander reportedly warned that Muslim terrorists view female soldiers as a weak point to be exploited.

By Ryan Jones | | Topics: IDF
Israel is proud of its female combat soldiers. But how our Islamic foes view them must also be taken into consideration. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90
Israel is proud of its female combat soldiers. But how our Islamic foes view them must also be taken into consideration. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90

When two young IDF soldiers were killed on the Egyptian border last week it sparked fresh debate over women in combat roles.

The two soldiers – Lia Ben Nun (19) and Ori Izhak Ilouz (20) – belonged to one of two mixed-gender combat units that guard the Israel-Egypt border and combat rampant drug smuggling there.

Religious eyebrows were raised over the fact that a young man and a young woman had been deployed together, alone, at a remote guard station for a long over-night shift.

Some publicly suggested that it was entirely inappropriate, and that the two might have been engaged in amorous activities that made them less alert to the terrorist’s infiltration. And that even if that wasn’t true in this particular case, it was a risk that had to be considered every time young male and female soldiers were put on guard duty together.

That of course set off liberal movements pushing for full gender equality in the IDF. They insisted that gender should be ignored in all operational decisions.

On Monday another report surfaced adding fuel to this fire.

According to The Jewish Voice, Col. Eliav Elbaz, who commands the Binyamin Brigade that defends the territory of the biblical Tribe of Benjamin in Samaria, told his troops three weeks ago that they must address any weak spots that could be exploited by terrorists.

Elbaz explained that during interrogations of captured terrorists it was revealed that they routinely avoid areas where IDF soldiers appear to be more professional and alert, and seek out “weak spots” where Israeli troops might be slacking or less attentive.

He then seemed to suggest that one of the “weak spots” that Palestinian terrorists look for is the deployment of female combat soldiers.

To be fair, Elbaz was not commenting on the combat effectiveness of female Israeli soldiers, but rather on how Palestinian jihadists view them.

But that simple fact didn’t prevent a backlash from women’s rights groups, some of which called for Elbaz to be replaced.

The religious Zionist organization Torat Lechima, which promotes religious conservatism in the IDF, fired back:

“Just as there is a different standard for men and women in sports competitions, as well as in training courses for military officers and pilots, that is certainly the case in active combat zones. In the next war our soldiers will face an enemy without compassion, who are unconcerned by the lies of the women’s lobby.”

In other words, when it comes to war, it doesn’t matter how “progressive” Israel wants to be. What matters on the battlefield is how the enemy views us, and the enemy views female combat soldiers as a weak point to be specifically targeted and exploited, potentially putting them at greater risk than their male comrades.

You Might Also Like
Load more
Members

Israel Today Membership

Read all member content. Access exclusive, in-depth reports from Israel! Free Zoom events. Connect with Israel right from your home! Raise a voice of truth and hope. Support Faith-based journalism in Jerusalem!

Monthly
Membership

$5
/ month
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Become a Member

Yearly
Membership

$46
/ year
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Save 18% Per Month.
Become a Member

Six Months
Membership

$28
every 6 months
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Save 9% Per Month.
Become a Member
Israel Today comments guidelines Kommentar-Regeln

4 responses to “Stir Over Female Combat Soldiers in Israel”

  1. Disciple 1978 says:
    June 12, 2023 at 11:12 pm

    And what is the combat women’s answer to this question? Have they been given the support they want to develop these units as they see fit or are they expected to follow the male model? How would they choose men to be integrated with them? Progressives would make the entire army weak.

  2. ROGER PEDERSEN says:
    June 13, 2023 at 4:18 am

    After encountering these female warriors, they will remember why the YPG was so feared.

  3. Vernon Ryan says:
    June 13, 2023 at 4:47 pm

    I read that if a jihadist was killed by a female in combat, they never made it to paradise. Might be that is why they want to have Israel get rid of the females in combat units.

Leave a Reply

Israel Today Newsletter

Daily news

FREE to your inbox

Israel Heute Newsletter

Tägliche Nachrichten

KOSTENLOS in Ihrer Inbox

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter