On Oct. 24, two female Israeli soldiers were killed during an attack on their sleeping quarters, located near an army-guarded Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. The sudden attack raises questions of women’s role in the Israeli military, specifically during combat.
Despite this attack and many doubts, Israeli women should continue to serve their country during battle.
Israel currently requires all capable 18-year-olds, both male and female, to serve in the army. Often, the required military service is the beginning of a lifelong career for Israeli soldiers.
Because of this, limiting a woman’s military role would limit the woman’s career options once completing her military service.
Limiting a woman’s role in the military based on one unfortunate event doesn’t make sense. It is true that two women were killed because of an enemy attack, but over the years many men have given their lives for the good of their country, and never once was the idea of men in combat re-evaluated.
If a man’s death is not cause for re-evaluating a man’s role, why should a woman’s death cause a re-evaluation of her capabilities in combat?
Other countries allow women to serve in combat, including Norway, Canada, Denmark and Germany. American women can serve on ships but not on submarines or in units whose sole purpose is ground combat. The contribution made by female soldiers is recognized worldwide and should be upheld in Israel.
Keeping the current female soldiers and allowing more to serve would also prevent the government from calling up the reserves. It only makes sense to use the willing active duty soldiers for their talents, female or not, rather then calling up reserves who have other jobs and have established their lives apart from the army.
Though many doubt a woman’s physical capabilities, it has been shown that women can be successful in the military.
In 1995, an Israeli woman fought to be allowed into flight school. Since then five women have graduated and are serving as pilots and navigators.
Women are also protecting Israel’s borders-often using heavy weaponry such as rocket launchers. One woman was even promoted to serve as a commander on a missile cruiser.
The women of Israel want to serve their country in combat and protect their country, all the while acquiring a skill that will help them attain employment outside of military service. “Society will just have to get used to the idea of women in combat,” said Sgt. Sima Adiv, a commander of a rocket launcher unit in the West Bank, according to CNN.com.
If Israel were a bigger country with more willing and capable men to serve and run the military, excusing or excluding women from combat situations would make sense.
But in a country where required service is necessary and war is always an issue, excluding capable soldiers is not wise.
As long as Israeli women are willing to serve and are physically capable, they should continue to be allowed to serve in combat situations.
A few female casualties should not raise questions of a woman’s capability, but rather, should raise questions of the capabilities of the army as a whole.
Until Israeli women prove to be detrimental to a war effort, or the risk of war is not as great as it has been in previous years, they need to continue to serve their country, using the talent and skill acquired through military training.
Shaina Hanson is a freshman political science major. She can be reached at [email protected].