There has been a rise of hundreds of percent in the past five years in the recruitment of girls entering IDF fighting units according to data from the November 2017 recruitment that began this week.
In 2017 about 2,700 girls joined the combat units, including the mixed battalions and other units. This is a 350% increase compared to the number of female soldiers who enlisted in 2012.
Five years ago, the IDF absorbed 600 girls for combat duties, a year later the number of girls more than doubled and stood at more than 1,300, and the figure rose until it reached its peak this year, compared to last year’s 30% increase in the number of girls who enlisted to combat units.
The IDF attributes this year’s increase to the number of exemptions given to the soldiers in the mixed battalions, including the cancellation of the physical exam (בוחן מסלול) and the reduction of the number of magazines they carry to reduce weight. It must be added that while the high command of the IDF, those in favor of the women combatants are hailing the success, many seasoned high-ranking combat officers, including those of the rank of major-general, warn of the disaster, the price that will be paid by incorporating the females into units and having to lower standards to accommodate them. In addition, their presence these commanders explain compromises the performance of the men, who are carrying more responsibility as a result of the new reality.
Among the information contained in reports, it states that 46% of the female combat soldiers will be injured during their military service compared to 24% of the male fighters. 69% of the female combat soldiers who fall out of combat battalions do so because of medical reasons.
The IDF claimed that according to the Thursday 27 Yediot Achronot report, that the data were distorted but correct for 2012. In addition, army sources claimed that the data were “cynically used in old data in order to harm the recruitment of girls,” and that following the special programs that were built and adapted to the fighting rate of injuries between males and females is the same and stands at only 26% and not as reported above.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
It’s very simple: if charedi boys (who are a large and growing percent of the country’s young men of draftable age) won’t serve somebody has to take their place. Hence the unfortunate need for girls. Charedim can’t have it both ways: first refuse to serve and then decry women joining the ranks to do their jobs.
YL: Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a myth that the army is short of soldiers. There are so many hanging around various bases with almost nothing to do. There are too many soldiers as it is. It’s not 1948 anymore. For years now, the IDF has been seeking ways to streamline itself and become even more technology based. Putting women into combat units Is pure feminist baloney. What is happening is they are endangering the combat units by lowering the standards to allow the women into the units.
Most Chareidi boys are not viable army material anyway. How about getting after the secular, lefty “tzfoniim” who are declining to serve, usually for spurious reasons?
Ignorant comment. The army is suffering from a surplus of man power. All studies into improving the efficiency of the IDF have concluded that the best model for the army is to gradually change to a professional army and simply raise the soldiers wages according to supply of willing soldiers and demand. This is expected to save money despite the higher wages since a huge amount of money is wasted on the current model with many men working inefficiently such as in logistics when it could be done much cheaper with outsourcing to a professional company. This is what almost all western countries have. We should too. Don’t blame chareidim for not supporting the backwards system.
american_yerushalmi, rational jew :
I have, of course, heard this argument many, many times. But only from charedim who have never served and who have no knowledge of the reality on the ground. I have also had many (probably hundreds) of conversations with current and former idf combat soldiers throughout the years, almost all of whom described manpower shortages that have been becoming more severe over time. Yes, there is a surplus of non-combat soldiers on some rear bases but those are people who cannot fill the army’s front line needs. And with a large and growing portion of able bodied boys refusing to serve for ‘religious’ reasons (which is a shanda in and of itself) there is a growing need to recruit girls to fill their place.
rational jew – please provide some reference for all of these ‘studies’ that you’ve read. The only thing in this vein that I have ever heard of was Ehud Barak’s talk of ‘ smaller smarter army’. Which (like so many things that Barak said) was just smoke and never went anywhere because the real security needs won’t allow for a smaller army.