Forbidden photos of Israeli army girls. Women in the Israeli army. How is the service

Military service in the Israeli army is considered the highest expression of civic duty.
During World War II, Jews were included in the lists of volunteer soldiers for the front. The Israelis fought mainly in British aviation. In 1948 In the Israeli army, it was decided to form a women's corps of volunteers.

Girls Tsahal

And already in 1959. the authorities thought and equated men and women in the compulsory right to serve.
At first, women's formations served 1 year and 9 months. But then women become more and more equal with the male sex and begin to serve almost always on an equal footing.

Since 2003 the Israeli military, who need longer training, serve 36 months - no matter the gender of the soldier. The military commission itself determines in which generations of troops the future female soldier will be placed.

At the young age of 17, an Israeli woman must appear before a military commission, undergo a medical examination, tests and an interview. And based on the results, the commission decides which troops the future soldier will be sent to.

Despite the tradition already established in Israel, there is no discussion about whether girls should serve in the Israeli army. We present you beautiful soldier girls from the Israeli armed forces Kahal.

Rabbis against the service of girls in the army. In their opinion, the representatives of the fair sex deprive religious youth of the motivation to serve. Chief Rabbi Zaf Shumel called for the release of the army chief of staff, accusing him of promulgating "radical feminist ideas." By the way, in the Israeli army there are "combined" battalions in which both boys and girls serve. I don't envy boys. I would not be able to think of anything, of any war, except for such wonderful colleagues.

In any case, Israel is in no hurry to abandon the call of women to the service. The service of girls in the army is supported by one part of society, the other is opposed. For some girls, it is a great honor to serve in the army. Beautiful soldier dressed in military uniform and holding a machine gun in his fragile hands - a typical picture on the streets of Israeli cities. There are several tens of thousands of women in the army. Girls are allowed to dye their hair, but the available colors are limited.

In this article you will find many photos of the girls of the Israeli army. They amaze with their courage and strength. These young women have the right to fight for their country on an equal footing with men. And in some cases, they show even greater determination and perseverance. What do these beautiful girls in the Israeli army?

Warriors from Israel

The fair sex, dressed in a soldier's uniform and holding a gun in fragile hands, is a fairly typical image of a modern Israeli woman. Today, there are a huge number of girls in the Israeli army - about several tens of thousands.

These young women follow the established military duties and compete with the male soldiers. According to one of the founders of the Jewish state, the replenishment of the ranks of the army is the most clear proof duty to the country, and until such time as young people of both sexes can serve equally, there can be no question of the recently widespread concept of equality.

Why do girls join the army?

Many people from different countries are asking this question. It would seem that the army is not a place for a woman. The participation of girls in the Israeli army can rightfully be considered a tradition. It was founded by a heroine named Deborah, who stood up for the defense of her homeland and took the machine into her hands at the moment when she was captured by enemies.

It was decided to resume such a historical tradition in modern Israel. If you believe the statistics, the IDF personnel today consists of a third of the female representatives. Mastering the military profession by women makes it possible to assert that in the potential of the Israeli army, girls will be able to make up about 80%.

About 25% of officer ranks in this country are held by girls, but they are usually distributed rather unevenly. Thus, among the lieutenants there are over 40% of women, while among the colonels - a maximum of 10%.

How is the service going?

It should be noted that not so long ago there were some changes in the rules of military service for women. More recently, the girls of the Israeli army were listed only in the rear units and were trained in the following specialties:

• signalman;
• chauffeur;
• programmer;
• nurse;
• aircraft engineer, etc.

However, today the girl's service has almost no differences from the men's, since any profession can be mastered by a woman as well as by a man. As practice shows, girls do an excellent job with their tasks, so in military affairs they are prepared no worse than guys.

Life of ladies in the army

Serving in the army is quite similar to working within the walls of the office, because on the weekends there is an opportunity to leave the army system and go to your home. There are also such units where the following principle is applied: if you live near the unit, then you can come to the service in the morning and return home in the evening.

Almost every city in Israel has a so-called "beit hayal" - a special hotel designed for soldiers. An Israeli army girl can spend the night or live in it until she returns to the base.

Women here remain women, despite all the severity and seriousness of the work they do. They are allowed to dye their hair, but the variety of possible colors is very limited. As for manicure, it is permissible to choose a transparent, pale pink or beige varnish.

Also, a girl in the Israeli army is required to carry a special army bag outside the perimeter of the base. This rule is important to observe even when she already has her personal handbag with her.

Who is to be called

Israeli law stipulates that any local citizen at the time of reaching the age of 18 must be drafted into the army. At the same time, young women up to 26 years old can be called up. The term of service for girls in the Israeli army is 2 years. To join the ranks of the soldiers, the girl must not be married or have children. However, she must be an Israeli citizen or have a permanent resident visa.

How much do they pay for it

The amount of the minimum soldier's salary is usually 500 shekels (this figure is equal to 125 US dollars). In the case when a soldier married before the army, the size allowance automatically increases to 3,000 shekels (over $750). If we talk about certain ranks, for example, ensign-conscript, then there is a payment of 5,000 shekels (over 1,250 dollars).

But there is one caveat: a girl in the Israeli army usually receives 10 dollars more than a man. This is explained as follows: the fair sex, as a rule, needs much more personal care products.

In addition to all of the above, military personnel are entitled to full state allowance, as well as free use of transport.

A girl in a soldier's uniform with an automatic rifle in her hands is a picture familiar to every Israeli. In the Israeli army, tens of thousands of women serve in all branches of the military, performing their military duty on an equal basis with men. One of the founders of the Jewish state, David Ben-Gurion, said: “Serving in the army is the highest symbol of the fulfillment of civic duty, and as long as women and men are not equal in the performance of this honorable duty, one cannot speak of their true equality. The military service of the daughters of Israel is one of the foundations of the Jewish state.”

Poster 40s. calling on women to join the IDF

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© 2007 by Alexander Shulman. All rights reserved
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Alexander SHULMAN

Women in the Israeli army

The participation of Jewish women in the defense of Israel has a long historical tradition, the roots of which go back to the biblical heroine Deborah, who defended her country from foreign invaders with weapons in her hands.

This tradition has been revived in modern Israel. Women played a prominent role in the underground militant organizations (Haganah, Lehi, Etzel) fighting for the independence of Israel. During World War II, thousands of women volunteered for the British army.

There were dozens of girls among the paratroopers that the British command, along with the Haganah, were preparing to be thrown into Nazi-occupied Europe. Many of them fought heroically and died in battles with the Nazis. Radio operator Hanna Senesh was parachuted into Yugoslavia, where she joined the partisan army. Being captured by enemies, she was tortured and died without giving out the secret codes of her radio transmitter.

War of Independence, 1947-1949 Soldiers of the Jewish military formation

The Israeli Women's Corps was established on May 16, 1948. The first commander of the Women's Corps was Colonel Mina Ben-Zvi, who gained combat experience in the Haganah and in the British army, where she served as an officer.

Initially, it was supposed to form special female military units, but during the year it was decided to distribute female fighters to regular units, while maintaining a separate command of the Women's Corps. The command of the Women's Corps was entrusted with responsibility for all stages of women's military service, training, advancement in officer careers, and protection of the rights of women soldiers.

Sergeant Esther Arditi, the first female IDF soldier to receive a combat award in 1955.

In February 1955, a Mosquito plane crashed at Hatzor Air Base and caught fire. Shells began to explode on the plane. The pilot, squadron commander Yaakov Talmon was wounded and could not leave the cockpit of the burning aircraft. Despite the mortal danger, 19-year-old Sergeant Esther Arditi entered the cockpit and pulled out the wounded pilot. A few seconds later the plane exploded.

For this feat, Esther Arditi was the first of the women soldiers of the IDF to be awarded a government award - the Itur ha-mofet medal. The statute of this award says that it is given "for courage worthy to serve as an example."
Esther Arditi belongs to an ancient family of Italian Jews. During the Holocaust, her entire family perished, and she miraculously managed to survive. After the war, special rescue teams searched for Jewish orphans throughout Europe. 10-year-old Esther, along with a group of Jewish orphans, was brought to Israel.

In accordance with the Law on Military Service, adopted in 1958, women over the age of 18, fit for health reasons, unmarried, without children are subject to military service. For religious women, as well as for those for whom military service is contrary to their moral values provided for the civil service.

The period of compulsory military service for women is 1 year and 9 months, but in last years it is gradually approaching 3 years - the period of compulsory service for men.

The women's unit of the NAHAL brigade at the parade. 1964

At the age of 17, each girl must appear on the agenda at her recruiting station. There she will have to undergo a medical examination, testing by a military psychologist, as well as determining her intellectual coefficient. It depends on the results of all these tests in which branches of the military she will serve. She may be offered, as part of pre-conscription training, to take courses to master any army specialty.

A year later, when called up for active service, each girl takes a course for a young fighter, after which recruits are distributed according to military units. Until recently, girls served in rear units as signalmen, drivers, doctors, computer specialists, aircraft technicians, and staff workers. Participation in hostilities for female soldiers was prohibited, however, female instructors are widely represented in tank, sniper, and sapper schools, where they participate in the training of specialists for combat units.

1956 Combat review at the officers' school

In recent years, there have been dramatic changes in the status of women in the military. They were caused by the active struggle of feminists for the further strengthening of equality between the sexes, not only in rights, but also in duties.

In 1995, the Israeli Supreme Court amended the Law on Military Service, allowing women to serve in combat units, as well as study at officer schools for pilots and naval commanders.

In 1997, Ellis Miller became the first female cadet of the Air Force Academy flight course, and in 2001, Lieutenant Roni was the first to receive the rank of fighter pilot. For the first time in the history of the IDF, a woman, Lieutenant Colonel Shosh Kahlon, has been appointed commander of a motorized infantry battalion.

In 2001, the Women's Corps was disbanded. Instead, the Office of the Adviser on the Affairs of Women in the Armed Forces was created under General Staff. It was led by Major General Suzi Yogev. These changes reflect a significant increase in the participation and influence of women in all aspects of Israeli society.

Adviser to the Chief of the General Staff for Women's Affairs, Major General Gila Kalifi-Amir

According to the magazine of the Ministry of Defense "Bamakhane", women currently make up 35% of the personnel of the IDF. Ninety percent of military specialties, including combat, are open to women.
As of 2009, in the armored and artillery troops, 20% of female military personnel, in the rescue service - 25%, in the MAGAV border police unit - 10%. In the air force: 25%-30% of women serve in almost every squadron.

Over the past 10 years, the number of female officers has grown by 40% and today
Twenty-six percent of the officers in the Israeli army are women, and there is an upward trend in this number. Indeed, they are distributed military ranks so far unevenly - so, if among officers with the rank of lieutenant women account for 44%, then among officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel the percentage of women is reduced to 12.

The IDF command decided, as an experiment, to start recruiting women who had military training in combat units, in particular, in military police units and border troops, for the reserve service. Women who have expressed their consent to be called up for reservist duties will serve to ensure security in Israeli settlements, including settlements located on the territory of Gaza, Judea and Samaria. For 10 years, the IDF reserve consisted of tens of thousands of women, which is 4% of all reservists. By 2005, their number had reached 10%.

Since July 2003, women with military specialties that require long-term training have been serving, like men, for 36 months. First of all, this change affected girls - combat specialists serving in the air defense forces, artillery, border troops, naval commandos, aviation, tank and medical troops. These changes also affected girls - graduates of universities serving as part of the academic reserve. Pilots and naval officers have been serving for 3 years for a long time (from the moment when women were allowed to enter the relevant courses).

In September 2007, a special commission set up by the head of the IDF personnel department, Elazar Stern, recommended that girls be given access to service in all units of the Israel Defense Forces in all positions, the Yediot Ahronot newspaper reports.

The commission that checked the service of girls in the army recommended that the IDF command change the system of conscription and distribution in such a way that the appointment of a certain soldier to a certain position depended only on his qualities, and not on gender.

In addition, the commission recommended equalizing the length of service for men and women. "There should no longer be units in the army in which women do not serve just because they are women," the commission's report says, which will be submitted to the General Staff in the coming days.

The Commission recommended that the Secretary of Defense be left to close separate divisions for girls, while stressing that "the likelihood of death or capture should not play a role in the decision this decision".

It is worth noting that on this moment from combat units, the IDF opened artillery units, air defense units, a battalion for girls light infantry"Karkal", units of the border guard MAGAV and companies of biochemical protection. In addition, women can become flight mechanics, pilots and navigators in Air Force units.

Maj. Gen. Suzi Yogev, adviser on women's military affairs at the IDF General Staff, believes that “women can hold any post and do any job in the ranks of the IDF. They currently have more possibilities for career growth, and, consequently, a higher motivation for serving in combat units. The Israel Defense Forces should recruit professionals who will be selected on the basis of their qualifications, and not on the basis of gender. Women can handle any job and position, even in infantry units, so all combat units will be open to them.”

Completed in November 2009, the sniper course will go down in the history of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as the first course in which female soldiers took part. Moreover, they made up the vast majority of graduates of this course - of the 16 new snipers, 13 belong to the fair sex.

All the girls serve in the Caracal Battalion, which guards the border with Egypt. Two of the graduates have already managed to distinguish themselves by shooting two smugglers who were trying to smuggle half a ton of drugs to Israel from a kilometer away, the Maariv newspaper reports.

Apparently, the graduates of the course will form the basis of the sniper platoon of the Caracal battalion. The leadership of the IDF intends to create such platoons in all infantry battalions. The first platoon, which became part of the 101st battalion of the airborne brigade, recently completed additional training.

It should be noted that over the past two years, the number of women in combat units has begun to increase. This was a consequence of the decision of the IDF command to open to women a number of elite courses, until now only available to men. Among other things, the "Gefen" officer courses were opened for women, designed to train officers of elite units.

According to official figures, in 2008 women made up 3% of the total composition of the IDF combat units. Women make up 70% of the Caracal battalion, 24% are women in the Snapir naval unit specializing in the protection of seaports, and 23% in the Nesher field reconnaissance battalion.

In combat support units and technical services, women make up 13.7% of the personnel, compared with 5.1% in 1998. At the same time, the number of women in secretarial positions has halved since 1998.

In officer courses for staff officers and for technical and combat support officers, women make up more than half of the cadets. In officer courses for officers of combat units, women make up 2.5%.

Israeli Air force there are extremely strict criteria for the selection of candidates for combat aviation pilots. Already in the first years after the creation of the Jewish state, the slogan “Only the best become pilots” gained popularity, and it remains relevant today. Combat aviation pilots form a kind of elite men's "club" with their own traditions, customs and superstitions, in which it was almost impossible for a "stranger", and especially a woman, to join. However, here, too, Israeli feminists won a convincing victory in the course of many years of intense struggle for the right of women to serve in the army on an equal basis with men.

Yael Rom-Finkelstein - Israeli Air Force's first female pilot

Yael Rom-Finkelstein (1932-2006) was the first woman to become an Israeli Air Force pilot. She was the first Western woman to complete a military flight course. Rom also flew seven types of aircraft and was the first Israeli female pilot to fly military operation behind the front line. After demobilization from the army, she became the first pilot on a civil airline.

At the age of 18, after graduating from high school in 1950, Yael Rom-Finkelstein literally made her way to the pilot courses of the youth paramilitary organization GADNA. On the course, she was one girl among 30 guys, but she managed to become one of the 3 graduates of the course who received a referral to the Air Force.

Yael overcame a tough selection for the Israeli Air Force Pilot School. At the pilot school, she took a course in fighter pilots, as well as bomber and military transport pilots. She flew Spitfire, Mosquito and Dakota aircraft. After graduating from pilot school, Yael served as an instructor pilot in a flight school.

During the Sinai campaign of 1956, she flew a number of sorties as a co-pilot in a bomber and military transport aircraft. In particular, she flew to the bombing of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, participated in the landing. The Israeli Air Force Rom gave 10 years of her life, being in consecutive military service, then being engaged in vocational training new pilots, and then - in the reserve service. In 1957, long before the pilots in the West civil aviation women began to be hired, Rom started working at the Arkiya airline. In 1962, she gave birth to her first child and was demobilized from the army.

The Law on Military Service, adopted in 1958, banned the participation of women in hostilities for many years, and therefore the service of women in combat units and in aviation. For women, only positions in the ground personnel of the Air Force remained available - aircraft technicians and aircraft engineers, officers and soldiers of the rear services and airfield services.

Women's organizations and feminists continued to fight fiercely for the right of women to serve in the army on an equal basis with men. But the real revolution took place already in the nineties of the last century and it was associated with the name of a young Israeli woman, Ellis Miller, who openly declared her right to become an Israeli Air Force fighter pilot.

21-year-old Ellis Miller was ready to compete on equal terms with men for the right to wear “silver wings” (“silver wings” is the badge of a graduate of the Israeli military aviation school) - she had every reason for this: she successfully graduated from the Faculty of Aeronautics Haifa Technion and courses for pilots-athletes.

However, when in 1994 she turned to the Air Force command with a request to allow her to take exams at the Air Force Academy for a fighter pilot course, she was refused. The command motivated him by the fact that all potential candidates for Air Force pilots are required to sign a contract for long-term personnel service in the Air Force, but marriage and subsequent childbirth will not allow a woman to fully fulfill contractual obligations.

The rejection didn't stop Ellis. She continued her fight for the right to become a fighter pilot, receiving the full support of Israeli feminist organizations. Within two years, Ellis went through all the instances, but even a meeting with the President of Israel, Ezer Weizman, did not help her. Ezer Weizmann, a former military pilot and commander-in-chief of the Air Force, was never enthusiastic about the idea of ​​​​seeing a woman at the controls of an aircraft. When Ellis Miller approached him to help her plan to become a military pilot, Ezer Weizmann told her, “Girl, I don't agree with you. Have you ever seen a man knit socks?” Weizmann's remarks have been widely criticized. He was accused of sexism and bias in the issue of the position of women in Israeli society.

Girl - sniper school instructor

In November 1995, the Israeli Supreme Court upheld Ellis Miller's claim. By its decision, the Supreme Court amended the Law on Military Service, allowing women to serve in combat units, as well as study at officer schools for pilots and naval commanders. In 1997, Ellis Miller became the first female cadet in the Air Force Academy flight course. However, she never had to become a fighter pilot - she was expelled from the course, as she could not cope with flight overloads.

The successful struggle of Ellis Miller opened the way to combat aviation for other girls.

Soon the cadets Air Force Academy three girls became at once: Sarah, Moran and Naama. They successfully graduated from the Air Force Academy and became F-16 fighter-bomber navigators. Sarah, the first to receive a navigator diploma, flew combat sorties in 2000, providing air cover for Israeli troops leaving Lebanon.

November 21, 2001 happened significant event- completed her studies at the Air Force Academy and became a fighter pilot, Lieutenant Roni. At the solemn ceremony of cadet graduates, Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, General Dan Halutz and Chief of the General Staff, General Shaul Mofaz, presented her with the cherished "silver wings" of an Israeli Air Force pilot.

Lieutenant Roni was born in 1980 on a kibbutz to an engineer father and a microbiologist mother. This family has glorious military traditions: grandparents Roni, Itzhak (Antek) Zukkerman and Tsivya Lubetkin are the heroes of the Uprising in the Warsaw ghetto. Roni's grandmother, Tsivya Lubetkin, was a prosecution witness at litigation in Jerusalem over the Nazi war criminal Eichmann.

After graduating from the Air Force Academy, Roni served as an F-16 fighter-bomber pilot for two years. She has many sorties on her account, during which she delivered rocket and bomb strikes against enemy targets. Then, according to the Maariv newspaper, she became an instructor pilot at the Air Force Academy, combining teaching with combat sorties. One of the leaders of the Academy says: “Only the best of the pilots can earn the right to teach future pilots and Roni certainly meets all these requirements. She is truly an outstanding pilot, she excelled in her flying work, and there is no doubt that she will also succeed in training young pilots for the Israeli Air Force.

According to the Maariv newspaper, this fighter pilot training course was completed by the second female military pilot in the history of the Israeli Air Force, Lieutenant N. In addition to her, two more girls, G. and A., who will take positions in the transport squadron, will receive "wings" and a squadron of helicopters "Saar". After the completion of this course, the number of women in the flight crews of the Israeli Air Force will increase to 17. admission committee before the course, girls make up about 5% of the candidates, but over the past 10 years, when girls took part in flight courses, only 17 of them successfully completed the course - we are talking about just over one percent.

Captain Yifat, an IDF Air Force officer and pilot of the Hercules transport aircraft, became the first woman in Israeli history to hold the position of deputy squadron commander.
Yifat was appointed to the post of Deputy Commander of Squadron "B" of the military transport aviation. At the moment, she is one of 17 women in the Air Force flight crew. In addition to her, the Air Force has female pilots of combat aircraft, combat and transport helicopters, as well as navigators of combat and transport aircraft.

Yifat start military service as Assistant Controller in the IDF Air Force Control and Tracking Department. In 2002, she completed a pilot course and became a transport aircraft pilot. Upon completion of the course, she began service as a C-130 Hercules pilot in a transport aviation squadron. For the past six months, she has served as Commander of the Basic Ground Course. flight school Air Force.

Regarding the integration of women, the Air Force noted that, according to the instructions of the Air Force Commander, Major General Eliezer Shkedi, all positions in military aviation should be open to women.
"We congratulate Captain Yifat on her appointment, and we are sure that she will become the first sign and an example for other women," one of the senior Air Force officers said after the appointment.

And the Navy, the most conservative in regards to the service of women, is gradually opening its doors to them. Women are trained at the naval academy, many of them became officers of the fleet.

Navy officers

Now the turn has come to the elite units: two girls have appeared in the special unit of Israeli submariners. They completed the course of divers and were soon enlisted in the division of divers. In accordance with the requirements of the IDF for fighters who have undergone special training, the girls will extend their service for a year on contractual terms.

Until now, only young men served in the Navy's submarine division, which dives under water to a depth of 90 meters. This principle is a thing of the past, following the once "exclusively male" profession of military pilots. Two young girls who completed the course have already taken part in underwater operations and repairs, and also participated in exercises to lay and remove underwater mines.

After the girls were selected for the Port Security Unit (YABAN) and completed the young fighter course, they began training at professional course necessary for service in the unit. The course included training in the profession of divers, as well as the skills of patrolling and fighting terror.

After completing the training and passing the exam, the girls had to fight for a place in the course of the special forces of military submariners, which only a few people enter a year. Training on this course lasted about a year, the girls managed to complete it, and in the near future they will receive distribution to the unit.

"This is very difficult course and I'm very proud of the girls. Many guys failed to complete this course," one of the 13th flotilla fighters said in an interview with NRG-Maariv.

But the brave girls had to resist not only heavy physical activity, difficult training and rivalry with guys. It was not without venomous statements that "women have no place in the unit." "There are no fewer chauvinists in our unit than in any other," the fighter admits. "But now they will have to shut up."

The Israeli Navy emphasizes that the girls were admitted to the course not because the army decided to take another step towards emancipation. They did not receive any indulgence, and received places on the course solely due to their talents and capabilities, the IDF notes.

Women in the war - this topic is especially relevant in Israel, where women make up more than a third of the army's personnel. During the hostilities in Lebanon in July-August 2006, for the first time since the War of Independence, women fought in the ranks of combat units, performing their military duty on an equal basis with men.

Captain Marina Kaminskaya. Awarded the Distinguished Service Commendation for bravery shown on the battlefield
Photo of the press service of the IDF

The participation of women in combat operations has been possible since 2000, when the Knesset passed a law allowing female soldiers to serve in the ranks of combat units. Since then, most of the military specialties of combat use have been open to women and there are no restrictions on career growth in the branches and types of troops, whether it be armored forces or fighter aircraft.

It can be assumed that the long-term struggle of Israeli feminists to achieve complete equality in such a primordially masculine form of activity as war has ended in a complete and convincing victory for women's activists.

However, the participation of women in the fighting in Lebanon has become a topic of public discussion in Israel. The attention of the press focused on two female soldiers who became iconic. It's about about Captain Marina Kaminskaya, who was awarded a high combat award for her courage in battle - the Badge of Distinction of the Commander of the Armored Forces, and about Sergeant Keren Tendler, a combat helicopter flight mechanic, who died during a combat mission on August 12, 2006.

Military doctor Captain Marina Kaminskaya during the operation in Lebanon was the head of the medical service of the 52nd battalion of the 401st armored brigade. As part of her battalion, she entered Lebanon on the first day of the war and took part in the battles for settlements Qanatra, Maroun-ar-Rash and the city of Bint Jubail.

Captain Kaminskaya fought on a tank bulance. Tank Bulance is a conventional Merkava tank converted into a mobile medical station and equipped with additional weapons and medical equipment. During the battle, the bulance tank is used as an "ambulance", for first aid and evacuation of the wounded.

On her tank bulance, Captain Kaminskaya was in the thick of the fighting on July 24, 2006 for the city of Bint Jbeil, the "capital" of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Tankers of the 52nd battalion participated in the battle for Bint Jbeil To evacuate the wounded tankers and infantrymen from the battlefield, the command sent a tank bulance of captain Kaminskaya. The tank bulance was covered by two conventional tanks. One of the cover tanks accompanied the Bulance tank directly, and the second controlled the situation on the nearest approaches.

In the midst of the battle, wounded fighters from the Golani infantry brigade began to enter the Bulance tank. Among them was the commander of the elite special forces battalion "Egoz", Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Gino, who was seriously injured - a bullet from an enemy sniper hit him in the face. Captain Kaminskaya gave him first aid right on the battlefield, which saved his life - she treated the wound, put a dropper, injected morphine, and then, under enemy fire, took the wounded on her tank bulance to the helipad, from where the wounded were delivered by helicopters to a hospital in Haifa.

The following fact speaks about the conditions under which Captain Kaminskaya had to fulfill his duties - during this battle, two tanks of the 52nd battalion were hit. In the crews of the wrecked tanks, one tanker perished (Sergeant Kobi Smilga and Lieutenant Lotan Slavin). In the same battle, the commander of the 52nd tank battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Kabili, was seriously injured.

After the evacuation of the wounded, Captain Marina Kaminskaya again and again returned to the battle formations of her battalion. In total, during the fighting, military doctor Captain Marina Kaminskaya assisted more than 25 wounded soldiers.

The hero of the Lebanese war, Captain Marina Kaminskaya, immigrated to Israel in 2000. After repatriation, she confirmed her medical degree and voluntarily joined the IDF. In 2005, as part of its military unit, it already took part in anti-terrorist operations in the Palestinian territories.

The life of another heroine of the Lebanese war, Air Force Reservist Sergeant Keren Tendler, was cut short on the last day of fighting in Lebanon, August 12, 2006. Launched on the evening of August 11, the IDF offensive in southern Lebanon was the largest in the history of the IDF since the war. doomsday landing operation. More than 50 helicopters took part in it, landing Israeli units in the depths of Lebanese territory. In parallel, helicopters delivered the necessary supplies and equipment to units already on Lebanese territory.

One of the combat helicopters that took part in the landing was shot down by a Russian-made missile - Russia illegally transferred thousands of weapons of various types to Hezbollah Islamic terrorists.
All five crew members of the CH - 53 Sikorsky helicopter were killed: Major Sammy Ben Naim, Major Nisan Shilo, Captain Daniel Gomez, Sergeant Ron Mashiach and flight engineer Sergeant Keren Tendler. Keren Tendler happened to be the only female soldier who died during the hostilities. In an official statement from the IDF press service at the time, all crew members were declared "missing, presumably killed." The remains of Keren were discovered as a result of a special search operation.

Keren Tendler's life ended at the age of only 26, but she occupies a very honorable place in the history of the feminist movement in Israel, becoming an example for many of her followers.

Air Force Reserve Sergeant Keren Tendler (1979-2006)
Died while performing a sortie

Keren Tendler was the first woman in Israel to become a combat helicopter flight mechanic. She owns the words: “My goal is to prove to everyone that such a clean male profession, as a member of the crew of a combat helicopter and aircraft, is quite female. Women can be just as great aviation specialists as men and even better than them.”

Keren Tendler dedicated her short life to this goal. She graduated from the ORT vocational school in Rehovot, where her family lived. At school, she consistently achieved high marks in technical subjects. Her teacher Viktor Zilberstein recalls that he once asked Keren why she studies in a specialty where there are no girls in the class except for her. 15-year-old Keren replied that not only boys are given a good understanding of mechanics and electrical engineering.

In the 12th grade of the school, Kren did an internship at the Tel Nof military airbase. Airplanes and helicopters have become her true passion. After graduating from the ORT school, she was drafted into the army, she served in the Air Force. Through hard work, she achieved a referral to the school of aviation specialists, where flight mechanics were trained. She continued her service already as a combat helicopter flight mechanic.

Video dedicated to Keren Tendler. At the beginning - footage taken a few hours before the death in battle

I must say that fate tested Keren for strength more than once. In 2002, the landing helicopter, in which the crew flew Keren, crashed. The helicopter with the paratroopers on board was performing a routine training flight, when it suddenly began to lose altitude sharply. The crew had to make a decision in a matter of seconds, on which the lives of dozens of paratroopers depended. From the ground, it was clear that the helicopter had dropped its fuel tanks, which exploded as they fell to the ground. Amid explosions and flames, the crew managed to land the helicopter safely. Directly in the direction of travel, flight mechanic Keren Tendler managed to organize the evacuation of paratroopers from the board of the helicopter in an accident.

Then everything worked out - thanks to the skillful actions of the crew, the lives of dozens of soldiers were saved, fighting machine also not damaged. For skillful actions in the event of a helicopter accident, Sergeant Keren Tendler was awarded the gratitude of the command.

After demobilization from the army, Keren entered the law faculty of the university. However, as a student, she continued to fly, annually being called up for reservist training in the Air Force.

In July 2006, Reservist Sergeant Keren Tendler, among many thousands of Israelis, received a draft notice and rejoined her crew. It was Saturday, August 12, 10:15 am, when her helicopter was shot down over enemy territory ...

Video about the motorized infantry battalion of Caracal, in which the girls serve

Few people can be surprised by photographs of Israeli girls serving in the IDF, with weapons in their hands. Most often, these are sleek beauties from Instagram, invitingly otklyachivayut mouth-watering bulges. Certainly also found in real life similar instances, but it is in the pictures of Rachel Papo that the beautiful half of the Israeli army looks like it really is. Her models are girls of not always model appearance, often without a drop of makeup and other styling; their beauty is of a completely different order. And, together with the calm strength, which the weapon becomes the personification of, this beauty makes a completely disarming impression.

Rachel Papo, although born in the USA (1970), has lived most of her life in Israel. Having served the mandatory military service(No. 3817131, which gave the name to the project - her individual number), Papo returned some time later to one of the military bases to capture the life of the girls serving. Her photographs are a rethinking of her own experience and, at the same time, a reflection on the phenomenon of a woman who has become part of the traditionally male world - the world of war. For thousands of years of history, a woman - the keeper of the hearth and the continuer of the family - has always been considered a kind of opposite to the war that takes lives. The ancient Greeks singled out the Amazons among the wild semi-legendary tribes, but they treated the “cultural” Greek women, like Aristophanes in his famous comedy Lysistrata, where women, tired of endless male wars, found a rather interesting way to stop them ...

One way or another, but even in our time, when emancipation and suffragism have given way to four, probably, waves of feminism, a woman with a weapon in her hands is still perceived with a certain amount of skepticism. Do not think that Papo wants to take one of the sides; her project is an attempt to understand herself and, through self-acceptance, to understand other girls. The photographer experienced a period of loneliness and apathy in the army, when she was torn out of the familiar world and circle by an eighteen-year-old girl. At the same time, her heroines do not look completely unhappy - yes, a shadow of fatigue runs over their faces every now and then, they do not always seem photogenic and ready to get into the frame, but at the same time, they look more alive than any oiled dolls from social networks(by the way, Papo herself does not disdain Instagram). Their daily work is training and studying, in the desert, under the scorching sun, and not languid posing in city cafes.

Project No. 3817131 may not give obvious answers, but it raises no less important questions, touching on the theme of the “universality” of a woman who can give and take life, be fragile and strong at the same time; also touching on universal categories, thinking about what responsibility is, the readiness to stand up for one's life and one's ideals, and about the price one has to pay for this.