The Role of Women in the Israeli Army Today - Assignment Example

The role of women in the Israeli army today al affiliation Global civilizations are replete with a history of women involvement in military activities. For instance, in African civilizations, women were involved in less brutal military activities such as providing the combatants with food, water, and medical assistance. Furthermore, women also provided the armed belligerents with intelligence information about the enemies as well as keeping confidential information on the whereabouts of the male militants. The involvement of Kenyan women in the Mau-Mau uprising that contributed principally to the attainment of Kenya’s independence is a case example of women contribution in military activities. Even though such contributions are considerably informal, they take a center play in the course of conflicts. In essence, women involvement in the military spans three thousand years into the past throughout different cultures and nations. Currently,” women in uniforms” serve in the armed forces although the majority of the combatants have predominantly been men. Women service in the military has been a controversial subject in the women welfare circles. Despite the diverse but limited roles of women in the military, their contributions in the combat have been significant. The women who have participated in the military have expressed commendable competencies that have motivated women fresh women combatants.in the American civil war, women dressed just like men and participated in the armed conflict. This paper exemplifies the contribution of women in the military activities in the current era. Background of the Israeli women involvement in the Army On May 26th, 1948, the Israeli prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, ordered for the conscription of both single and married women who were born between 1920-1930 into the Israeli Defense Forces. The women served under the umbrella body of Women Corpse and were tasked with the responsibilities such as nursing, signal operations, driving, clerical work, and cooking for the militants. Some of the early women soldiers to be conscripted into the Israeli Defense Forces include Yael Rom, who was the first female pilot to be trained by the Israeli Air Force and later conscripted in 1951. In September 1969, Hava Inbar was appointed the judge of the military court in Haifa. Hava Inbar said, “I am glad that I was appointed; it proves that the Israeli Defence Force leaves almost all doors open for its female soldiers.” This statement is an assertion of the milestone involvement in the Israeli military. Before the establishment of the Israeli state, women correctly served in combat roles in the armed forces that were then referred to as Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). After the establishment of Israeli defense forces, women roles in the military changed from combatants to serving as educators and administrators. However, in the onset of the 1973Yom Kippur War, the increasing demand for ground forces by Israel recapitulated the need for men in the battlefield. Roles of Israeli women soldier today In their new roles in the war, they served as instructors, operations sergeants, and even officers. Israel, Norway, and Eritrea are the only known states that have a mandatory military service requirement for women in the world. Women activity specifically in the Israeli Defense Forces and military, in general, is recorded to have begun before and since the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948. The Israeli military (Israeli Defense Forces-IDF) comprised of 33% women soldiers and 51% officers in 2011. The women soldiers have filed the various slots necessary for the Air forces, ground, and Navy. The Equality amendment to the Military of men." Currently, approximately 88% to 92% of military positions in the Israeli Defense Forces are open to female candidates. Approximately 69% of Israeli women can be found in all military positions. Before the strengthening of women participation in the Israeli Defense Forces, women were conscripted to serve in the Womens Army Corps. Womens Army Corps is commonly known as CHEN in Hebrew. Clause 16A of the Israeli military service law stipulates that female combat soldiers should serve three years of mandatory service pending their absorption.Women remain in service up to 38 years of age even if they become mothers in between the mandatory service and the thirty-eight years age limit. Israeli Defense Forces annually recruit 1500 female combat soldiers. Historical records point to the discrimination against women on combat roles in Israel until the raising of the Caracal Battalion was effected in 2000. In the year 2000 the Women Corpse was dismantled to eliminate gender disparity in the Israeli military. Public concerns abound on the women involvement as combat soldiers. The public asserts that women who are involved in Israeli military as combat soldiers stand the risk of being held by enemies as prisoners of war, or they may also be sexually assaulted. Reuven Gal who was at one time the chief army psychologist and Director of the Israeli Institute of Military Studies reiterated the public concerns in his statements that women stand the risks of possible enemy attacks in Lebanon. The combat ban was a reflection of the Jewish traditional culture that women epitomize family continuity and that they have to take care of the children. The women also ensure that the home remain safe while the men are out on the battlefield defending the frontier. A major turning point in the women involvement in the Israeli Army was heralded by the 1995 Supreme Court petition by a woman named Alice Miller. She petitioned the Supreme Court to allow women access to pilot training schools. The first Israeli women woman graduated from the pilot training school in 1998. The major combat unit for Israeli women is Caracal. This unit was named to infer a desert cat whose female resembles the males. Since the establishment of Caracal in 2000, the unit is composed of two-thirds females. Caracal safeguards the borders between Israel and her two neighboring countries of Jordan and Egypt. The Caracal also took an active role in the Mount Harif episode. While most female soldiers in the Israeli military are required to serve a mandatory service in two years, women conscripts in the Caracal are required to serve three years of service just like the men in the unit. A 21 years old immigrant; Arielle Werner, who immigrated to Israel from Minnesota to train as a combat recounted female recruits within the Caracal underwent similar training just like their male counterparts apart from the occasional shorter runs or treks with full regalia. She stated, “Once in a while we can guilt the guys into doing the heavy lifting” of huge water bottles or stretchers. She further stated “but girls do the same as guys; it’s pretty equal.” Ms. Werner asserted that she found herself running faster when in a coed group. The military pressure within the Israeli forces compels women conscripts to be just as good as the men because they have a lot to prove. Women soldiers work in earnest to prevent the closure of the Caracal unit in case of non-performance. Threats of closure are always on the women units as opposed to the paratroopers, a fact that imposes them to prove their worth in the military forces. Challenges faced by Israeli women combats In 2006 during Israel and Hezbollah the war, a female air force mechanic died is a grisly chopper crash. The year 2011 was a widely noted as an episode in the history of the Israeli women involvement in the military. A female military medic used her bra as a tourniquet during a terrorist attack on a bus near the Egyptian border. However, the challenges that affect the economy of Israel equally affect the operations of the Israeli Forces. The forces that affect the Israeli forces are similar in other countries of the world, but two issues are considerably unique to Israel. These two issues include; terrorism and Work Force Participation. These two issues affect the operations of the military due to high risks of terrorism attack and low economic throughput to sustain the armed forces. Women are often great snipers in the battlefield but cannot run effectively with the gears on like their male counterparts.  Military training in Israel is hard on men but this is exacerbated in women due to their morphology that inhibits rigorous training for typical women.  The menstrual cycle of women affect their efficiency in the field and it is hypothesized that until women stop menstruating it will be taking to sustain them in the battlefield for longer periods. Scientific research asserts that during the menstrual cycles, women lose up to half their body strength compounded with the emotional changes that affect their judgment all impair their activity in the battlefield. The relationships that the combats forge in the battlefield affect their efficiency. Furthermore, women have been persistently sexually abused, and men soldiers make unwanted advances, or sexual assault, which impair unit cohesion.  There is imminent and inevitable physical-emotional distress that comes with men and women operating together in the battlefield.  A good relationship among female and male combatants in the field can encourage the establishment of jealousy and the perception of favoritism, which may drag one off the battlefield. When barbaric acts such as sexual assault happen within the operations of the combat, women not only lose faith in their male colleagues but may also fear them. For instance, in a collaborative operation, a vindictive man may resort to degrading a colleague woman as easy, which results in her losing the respect she has from her peers.  On the other hand, a vindictive woman may try to destroy a man’s career in the military using unfounded allegation that hampers harmony within the military operations. Support for Israeli women in the military Military Women in Israeli played a critical role in the founding and development of the Israeli new state. Despite the religious or ethnic differences, all Israeli women enjoy equal rights, safety under the law and chances to succeed as well as contribute equitably to societal progress. The 1969 election of Golda Meir as an Israeli prime minister and the subsequent election of Tzipi Livni as the Israeli Foreign Minister reflect the liberalization of the Israeli nation to the progress of women. The Israel’s Declaration of Independence in 1948 guarantees legal and political equity for all gender without any discernible sense of discrimination. The enactment of the Women’s Equal Rights Law in 1951by Knesset reinforced the fundamentals of women empowerment on leadership and homeland security. In 1970s and 1980s, the Knesset enacted more legislation to support anti-discrimination laws. Currently, Israeli women hold three of the top political and judicial positions in Israel. Some of the dignitary women in support of the women military include; Tzipi Livni (foreign affairs minister), Dalia Itzik (speaker of the Knesset) and Justice Dorit Beinish (president, or chief justice, of the Supreme Court). Livni is ye head of the Israeli delegation in tracking the current Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. An astounding aspect of Israeli society is the liberalization of the military to include many women in the military. It is a sound and operational mandatory military service requirement for women. All Israeli women aged between eighteen and twenty-six years are eligible for conscription into the Israeli Defense Forces. However, eligible women can be exempted from the military in case they get married, pregnant, or are mothers. Alternatively, Israeli women may seek military exemption in case they feel that their involvement in the military would negate the religious subscriptions. Israeli women have a very strong urge to serve their nation in every single manner necessary. The Israeli women embrace the military spirit and desire to be of utmost service to their state. Israeli women have immensely contributed in the shaping of Israel’s political and military landscape since her inception in 1948. They have participated actively in the Israeli military since its inception as a sovereign state. In the Warsaw ghetto, the Israeli military women participated in fighting the Nazis. In the pre-State underground freedom, the women soldiers participated in fighting militias. Women critically participated in the Israel’s 1948 war for independence. Although it was suggested that the women be barred from participating in wars, it was inevitable for the new nation to completely neglect their initial contributions and their potential in safeguard in battle but would fulfill other roles. The roles of Israeli Women Corps began to change in the 1990s. In the year 2001, the Israeli Defense Forces disbanded the Women’s Corps. However, the abounding pressures from feminist lobbies resulted in the army’s decision to appoint an adviser for womens affairs. The appointed adviser was actually the former commander of the Womens Corps. Currently, Israeli military women perform compulsory military service in the Israeli Defense Forces for a year and nine months le conscripts serve three years of compulsory service. Religious women are not obliged to serve in the military. Some Israeli women bear a special feeling to serve Israel through military service while others participate in volunteer opportunities. Israeli women devote their time between 18 and 20 years to serving the nation devote the ages between The Israel Defense Forces is unique to the other world military organizations with respect to women involvement. Other differences between the Israeli military and the other world military organizations include; the compulsory conscription of women and its structure of application. The structure of women involvement emphasizes on close relations between the army, the navy, and air force. Since the establishment of the Israeli Defense Forces, it has structured through women’s involvement to match its unique security situation in the Arab-dominated Asia. The Israeli Defense Forces is a very significant institutions institution in Israel. IDF influences the countrys economy, culture, and political platform. IDF received state recognition through the award of the Israel Prize recognition in 1965 for its contributions to education. The Israeli Defense Forces uses several domestic technologies that are specially designed to match its needs such. Some of the technologies use include the Merkava main battle tank, Achzarit armored personnel carrier, high technology weapon systems, the Iron Dome missile defense system, Trophy active protection system for vehicles, and the Galil and Tavor assault rifles. Other technologies include the Uzi submachine gun. After 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces cooperate with the United States of America in developing new military technologies such as the F-15I jet, THEL laser defense system, and the Arrow missile defense system. Israeli women and men both perform compulsory military service. The Israel Defense Forces is a melting pot that allows immigrants and minority groups to join in the same rite of passage as soldiers. The Caracal army unit, which was formed in 2004 with the primary objective of granting women the opportunity to participate in the true combat role, has achieved milestones in ensuring Israeli security. The caracal battalion comprises of 60% female who patrol the Israeli border with Egypt. They specifically safeguard the border at the Sinai Peninsula. The peninsula is a desolate stretch of high desert that has turned to be the seat of conflicts between Israeli and Egypt. The greatest role of the Caracal is safeguarding the construction crews building that fence Egypt and Israeli at the Peninsula boundary. Conclusion The Israeli Defense Forces has in the recent past increased women compulsory service in the military. The military body suggests that the initiative to increase the years of compulsory service is prompted by two reasons. One of the reasons is the reducing the length of men’s service would result in the early release of thousands of male soldiers. This mass release of ale soldiers has the potential of creating a significant personnel shortage in combat and technical divisions. Secondly, the IDF maintains that prolonging women’s reduces the disparities between men and women service. The senior officer in the Personnel Directorate of the IDF asserted that extending women’s service is aimed at increasing equality within the military. Critiques of the move to increase women service in the military posit that as long as universal mobilization is not obligatory across all sectors of the society, it would be unfounded to impose women who do shoulder the military burden to serve an extra four months in the military as part of the compulsory requirements. The critiques further argue that an extension of the women’s terms of service contravenes the sense of civic duty in a reality. References Barusch, A. S. (2012). Foundations of social policy: Social justice in human perspective. Australia: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. 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