Haaretz: Dozens of Israeli female soldiers refuse to serve as “army eyes”
Dozens of female recruits in the Israeli army refused to leave an Israeli army recruitment center after they were appointed to work as military observers, according to a report by the Israeli Haaretz newspaper.
The report said that a group of approximately 50 female recruits were arrested or detained because they refused to leave the recruitment center and travel to the training base at the Border Protection School in Siarim, Israel, in preparation for working as observers.
The Israeli army denied reports that the female soldiers who refused were detained or arrested and said that they were sent to their homes.
A spokesman for the Israeli army recruitment center where the incident occurred said that the percentage of female soldiers refusing to work was expected and within normal limits, especially after the events of October 7th.
According to Haaretz, the Hamas attack on towns in southern Israel on October 7, which included the Nahal Oz military base, led to the killing of 15 observers and the kidnapping of six others to Gaza as hostages.
The Israeli newspaper added that a number of female observers were able to survive the attack after taking refuge in a room at the base and hiding there among the bodies of the dead.
A group of female soldiers in charge of surveillance revealed to Haaretz last November that their numerous attempts to warn their commanders of unusual activity along the border fence were largely ignored in the days and weeks preceding the Hamas infiltration.
These warnings included reports of Hamas movements near the fence, drone activity and attempts to destroy surveillance cameras, as well as extensive use of trucks and motorcycles, and even training on targeting tanks.
Haaretz says that female soldiers believe that the refusal to respond to their warnings stems partly from the arrogance of the officers in charge of them, as well as because of sexual discrimination because they are women.
Haaretz quoted one of the female observers as saying, “There is no doubt that if there were men watching in front of those screens, things would be different”.
Many call female surveillance soldiers “the eyes of the army,” because they provide real-time intelligence to soldiers in the field 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Female soldiers collect information through a variety of cameras, sensors and maps, and are expected to be fully aware of every little detail in the 15-30 kilometers of area they are each responsible for monitoring.
Once female surveillance soldiers gather relevant information, it’s passed up the chain of command, including intelligence officials who then determine what steps need to be taken.
