In the State's response to the General Staff High Court, it was stated that the Chief of Staff had ordered the establishment of a team headed by the Commander of the Land Forces, Major General Yoel Strick • The petitioners welcomed the move

• The four petitioners

  Photo: 

  Efrat Eshel

The state announced its return today (Thursday) to the General Staff High Court and in its reply it was stated that Chief of Staff Major General Aviv Kochavi has decided to establish a team that will examine the possibility of integrating women into additional combat roles in the IDF.

The multi-armed team will be headed by the commander of the land arm, Major General Joel Strick, a senior officer with significant operational experience. The deputy chief of staff will be Brigadier General Eliezer Toledano, who recently completed his term as commander of the Gaza Division. The team will conduct an in-depth examination of the issue in the coming year.

The IDF spokesman stated that "in the state's response, it was stated that at the beginning of July 2020, the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Aviv Kochavi, decided to establish a professional team in order to conduct a serious and thorough examination process, from a broad, comprehensive and in-depth approach." Additional fighting in the IDF. 

"They will also take part in a team of senior IDF officials with relevant, operational and professional expertise in a wide range of fields. The team will examine the issue of the integration of women in other combat roles in the IDF in all its aspects, including: the physiological-medical aspect, aspects of placement and planning of personnel, sorting mechanisms, future command development, aspects related to the reserve, aspects related to joint service and more.

The petitioners, four women, ask the Chief of Staff to open all the army units to women and to summon them to differentiate through the formation together with the men and according to the same criteria, without easing. If they pass the formation - they will be admitted to these units. Another combat unit, according to their ability and skills, according to them, denying the possibility of being tested on the days of formation only because they are women constitutes discrimination on the basis of gender, which is contrary to existing law. 

According to them, they do not seek any relief because they are women but demand that this not be blocked from them due to gender discrimination. If they pass all the physical and mental tests as men, they demand to be given an equal right to serve in the combat units.

The four are athletes with high physical fitness who trained for their enlistment in the IDF for years. Attorneys Yanor Bartenthal and Amichai Weinberger, representing the petitioners: "We welcome the additional step the IDF is taking towards integrating women equally in combat roles in special units and all combat units. In the army.

"This is if it is indeed a serious and deep process of examination and not a process behind which there will be an attempt to fail or bury the full equality options as was done after the Segev Committee. In order for the examination results to be relevant and able to stand professional and public discussion on the examination." "We expect from the IDF no less a gender-balanced committee combined with professionals who will allow access to all the information and data, including the test methods, work processes and its results."

Naamat chairman Hagit Peer also responded: "There is no need for another committee - all IDF units must be opened to women immediately. The only relevant parameter in the recruitment of recruits should be their personal abilities and skills - regardless of gender. I hope that the establishment of the committee is no longer an attempt by the IDF to postpone dealing with the issue by way of dragging its feet. "