Two officers from the Ethiopian community have recently made history, and were first appointed as judges in military tribunals.
In today's reality this is definitely an event: women, from the Ethiopian community, who broke a glass ceiling and were first appointed to a position they had not served in the past.
The appointment of Major Tamar Bekia Edgeach and Major Mazi Makonen is certainly important and groundbreaking, and all due respect to the IDF, which provides opportunities and promotes equality. More members of the Ethiopian community in senior positions in the IDF.
On the one hand, members of the Ethiopian community excel in motivation and very high recruitment rates - including for combat units, especially compared to the recruitment rate in the general population.
On the other hand, despite all this, during the service itself, servicemen are identified with phenomena such as high rates of desertion and absenteeism, a low rate of attending command and officer courses, and very high rates of suicide and incarceration, certainly compared to their relative numbers in the population.
The IDF is well aware of the problem, and for years they have often tried to build tailored and unique programs that will help them better absorb and integrate
them, but unfortunately, these have not led to a dramatic change.
Often boasts of it, the road is still long.
True, in an unprecedented way two officers with the rank of Major General, both in the fields of law, are currently serving in the General Staff.
But in positions more identified with the military profession, such as commanders of command, and heads of divisions and arms - there are no women.
Inequality begins even before enlistment, in that not all military professions are open to women.
The winning IDF answer to this is that about 90 percent of the positions are open. But in practice, the ten percent that are closed to women are the significant combat roles, from which the field commanders, generals and chiefs of staff grow.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that even in combat units such as the mixed battalions, the artillery corps, the air defense system and more - the army finds it very difficult to keep women in permanent service and in the command and officer tracks.
According to military data, many of the women who become officers and advance in the army retire on their own initiative from combat positions in the age range of 26 to 32, when it comes to starting a family.
Even women in more "back-to-back" positions often retire from significant positions, because as a rule, military service is very demanding and requires non-hourly attendance, availability 7/24, and sometimes a career preference over family.
The IDF has tried to promote women over the years, even through affirmative action, and create unique pathways for them that will allow a reasonable combination of military and family life. Where women and boys or girls of the Ethiopian community will be promoted on a regular basis, and their appointments will not justify newspaper headlines, there will be a day when we can say that reality has changed.
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