Hila Mazor was excited about the IDF recruitment process, like many girls her age, but she did not imagine that this would be what she would experience as soon as she first met the IDF system.
"Hila was summoned as part of the IDF recruitment process to a special medical committee. When I received the summons, when I asked what a special medical committee meant, no one could tell me what it meant," says Etty Mazor, Hila's mother.
"I asked to join the committee, and although they tried to motivate me, I told them that my daughter was not yet a soldier and that I was joining a special medical committee."
"We arrived on Thursday morning, and while waiting we asked my daughter to go up to the second floor to weigh and measure height. When we entered the committee, three staff members who did not introduce themselves were present, one of them an officer. They asked us for the 'white form'. And recent blood tests, "says Etty.
"I was furious when I heard what the officer said."
Hila and Etty, Photo: Courtesy of those photographed
"Less than five minutes later, my daughter was told that she would be exempted from conscription. I was asked what the exemption was for, I was told that her BMI was high and that she had lipids in her blood. At that moment I felt a lump in my throat. An answer, "says Mazur.
"It is known that blood lipids are treated with pills and drugs, and this is not a reason to be exempted from the IDF."
Mazur describes a very difficult sentence that the officer told them: "Hila turned to the officer and told her that there are fat female soldiers in the army, so why can't she enlist? The officer's answer was: 'You have one year until enlistment to be normal and lose weight to BMI 30, and therefore 30 days to appeal and that's it. "
At that moment Hila fell silent.
"I felt very hurt and said to myself, 'Wait, I'm not normal right now?'. I was shocked. By what right is she saying such a thing?"
Etty says that "I refrained from turning a table as soon as she called Hila 'abnormal', but at that moment I told them that they were messing with the wrong mother. Did our army move to recruit girls only in sizes 90-60-90? Where is the acceptance of difference, where is the opportunity To other children? Why can a fat child not contribute to the IDF and a thin child yes? Why even tell a child that he is not normal because he is fat? ".
"We left when my daughter was crying bitterly, and feeling humiliated and in pain, and I was boiling with designers," says Etty.
"It is not possible that nowadays, when we educate our children to love others, accept the difference, love the state and commitment to the IDF, an officer will humiliate my daughter in this way. ".
"I thought to myself, what am I not normal?", Photo: Courtesy of the person being photographed
Etty adds that Hila began to gain weight following a personal crisis in the family, and even went through a boycott in class several times, causing her parents to move her class within the school and then to a new school.
Today she attends a special education school with emotional issues.
"The IDF has all of Hila's diagnoses, but they probably chose to ignore it and acted with utter insensitivity. ".
Notes with me.
Currently, Hila will not enlist in the IDF, but she does not intend to give up service and intends to volunteer for national service abroad.
"I hope that there my path will be easier and they will accept me as I am because it is important for me to contribute to the country," says Hila.
"It is important for me to make it clear that I am not really in danger. I want to correct the distortion that exists in the IDF.
It is important for me to convey a message to girls and boys who are experiencing a similar situation not to be silent. "
The IDF spokesman said: "As part of the first order, and as a whole, the candidate came to a qualified doctor who examined her medical documents that indicate various medical problems, including a high BMI.
She was subsequently referred for further tests and asked to submit their results, in order to determine her eligibility for military service.
After receiving the results, and in accordance with the Security Service Law, it was decided to convene a medical committee, which took place last December.
The committee determined that in light of the findings presented, it is not fit for service ... "
"... During the committee, the candidate was presented with the options available to her - an appeal of the committee's decisions within 30 days or alternatively a volunteer route to the army. The candidate has not yet submitted a request to open a case for one of these procedures.
However, if the "home in a certain way we are sorry for it" was harmed.
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