To be or not to be a Combatant? Feminism and Gendered Considerations in the Israel Defense Forces

Conscription exists in Israel for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18 for both men and women. While military service in Israel is compulsory for both women and men since the creation of the state in 1948, women’s service in combat roles is voluntary. Women have had to struggle for the right to join combat units and fll combat roles. The persistence of the intractable Israel- Palestinian confict and the attendant collective, ongoing trauma in Israeli life play dominant roles in Israeli society. Israeli society perceives war and preparations for war as unavoidable societal processes. These processes, alongside the rivalry with Hezbollah in the North, the occupation of the West Bank and the former occupation and current blockade of the Gaza Strip in the East and the South, cause the military to become a central institution in society. Yet, Israel still lags behind other nations insofar as women in combat roles remain the exception rather than the rule. The number of women serving in combat positions in the IDF is small but rising. In this context, the chapter explores the process of incorporation of women as soldiers into the IDF and describes the complex process of the opening up of combat-support roles and combat roles for women. The chapter follows some of their struggles and perspectives regarding the positionality of women in combat in the militarized Israeli society.