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Israel is one of the few countries with mandatory military service for women, 24 months. Women served in 1948 alongside men. Long restricted to support roles (clerks, instructors, intelligence). Combat opened gradually since 1995. Today: women fly F-16s, command battalions, serve in mixed combat units (Caracal, Lions of Jordan), and have seen battlefield action including Oct 7. Karakal\'s Tom Hand commanded a battalion in 2024.
Cultural note, When Israeli women say "the army," they include their service. Tank-driver, intel analyst, instructor, coordinator, every role legitimate. Famous IDF women: Gali Atari (singer, served in Nahal), Gal Gadot (instructor), Yael Naim (musician, "Caracal" combat unit). Combat women have worn the same beret as the men since 2000. The discussion about expanding combat roles ("מַסְלוּלֵי לָחִימָה") is ongoing.
Women\'s Combat Units
Standard Roles
Non-Combat Specialties
Pilots & Air Force
Famous Women Officers (history)
Tom Hand: First Female Combat Battalion Commander
Profile-style Hebrew about Tom Hand, who commanded a Caracal battalion in 2024, the first woman in IDF history to command a combat battalion. Caracal women fought directly on October 7.
Mother-Daughter Conversation: My Daughter Drafted
A typical conversation that happens in every Israeli family. The mother served in the Givat Olga base in the 80s. The daughter is going to a combat unit.