The Patriot Act: Women in the Israeli Defense Force

Girls who fight for their right to party, among other things

The clashes in the Middle East are all kinds of complicated. Important? Yes. Easy for me to explain to you? Don’t be silly. If you want an in-depth analysis and history of conflicts between Arabs and Israelis, don’t read this article. Read this book. Because this article isn’t about war; it’s about women.

Pretty pretty princesses are great for animated escapism, but when it comes to real life, three-dimensional role models are necessary. We like women to be fierce. Strong. Independent. (Yes, those are all links to Beyoncé. Chick has it together.) Point is, it shouldn’t shock you that some of the toughest women in the world are in the armed forces. Israel just so happens to have a ton of female soldiers, what with service in the Israeli Defense Force (Israel’s army) being mandatory and all, which is why we’ve chosen to spotlight these kickass women on a site created by and devoted to—wait for it—kickass women.

In no particular order, here are five reasons why we’re a little obsessed with women in the IDF.

1. Equality. While we’re making 70 cents to our male counterpart’s dollar in this land of the free/home of the brave/nation where all men are created equal, the Israelis are treating women and men like… what’s the word I’m looking for… equals! Israel is the only country on the planet where men and women are obligated to serve in the military. Back in the 1940s, the fairer sex was only permitted to serve in administrative roles, but in the last five, they’ve infiltrated more than 80 percent of military positions.
2. Mortal Combat. Men serve for three years and women for slightly less than two. Women in the combat units, however, serve for the full 30 months. In light infantry units called Karakal, men and women even fight alongside one another.
3. Anything you can do. The IDF often has women teach men how to shoot their guns because studies have shown that men pay closer attention to female instructors. Why they needed studies to prove this, I’m not entirely sure…
4. Class participation. Women in the U.S. military have noticed the substantial role their Israeli counterparts play in the IDF and a few are actually a little bit jealous.
5. Teenagers taking down terrorists. Even at the age of eighteen, when most girls in the States are getting pumped for prom, throwing classic graduation parties and making epic trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy everything for their dorm rooms, women in the IDF are given significant duties. Sharon Savariego’s service in the intelligence corps involved “finding out about suicide bombers.” She spoke about her experience at Rutgers last September, saying that her job was to find out “how they enter Israel, who funds them, and how to stop them.” (NJ Jewish News).

See them in action! Watch these soldiers take their best shots here.