Israel's population is about 2.6% of ours and their army is correspondingly smaller as well. As a result, their troops have to do a lot more than we do, and there is a lot less specialization. Additionally, as the video that RF1 posted mentions, they did this out of necessity, not because they thought it was a great idea. I think it's important to consider those facts because a "women in the infantry" discussion isn't an apples-to-apples comparison between Israel and the US.
Yes there are women in units that the Israelis call infantry battalions. But in the US we would probably not designate those units the same way. Much of what these "infantry battalions" do is more like MP work, or it is something that civilian agencies would do here.
For example, the Bardelas Battalion mentioned in the video is more like our Border Patrol than it is one of our straight-up infantry battalions. It is also relegated to what I would argue is the safest, most stable part of Israel's national borders: the part from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea along the border with Jordan. That's probably not accidental.
https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/bardelas-battalion/
Another of the gender-integrated units, the Caracals, patrols the Egyptian border bertween Eilat and Gaza. It's also something like 70% female.
Caracal Battalion - Wikipedia
In Israel, the combat arm of decision is armor. AFAIK there are still no women tankers. No, do I believe, are there many (any?) female combat troops in their paratrooper units, unless its onesies and twosies like snipers.
I served six months along the Israel/Egypt border and I've gone to Israel every year for the last five years. When we visit "front line" combat units, the only women I see are support troops. They are readily identifiable by their long braided hair and the strappy sandals they are permitted to wear with their uniforms.
Israel Army /= to US Army in this regard
Yes there are women in units that the Israelis call infantry battalions. But in the US we would probably not designate those units the same way. Much of what these "infantry battalions" do is more like MP work, or it is something that civilian agencies would do here.
For example, the Bardelas Battalion mentioned in the video is more like our Border Patrol than it is one of our straight-up infantry battalions. It is also relegated to what I would argue is the safest, most stable part of Israel's national borders: the part from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea along the border with Jordan. That's probably not accidental.
https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/bardelas-battalion/
Another of the gender-integrated units, the Caracals, patrols the Egyptian border bertween Eilat and Gaza. It's also something like 70% female.
Caracal Battalion - Wikipedia
In Israel, the combat arm of decision is armor. AFAIK there are still no women tankers. No, do I believe, are there many (any?) female combat troops in their paratrooper units, unless its onesies and twosies like snipers.
I served six months along the Israel/Egypt border and I've gone to Israel every year for the last five years. When we visit "front line" combat units, the only women I see are support troops. They are readily identifiable by their long braided hair and the strappy sandals they are permitted to wear with their uniforms.
Israel Army /= to US Army in this regard
