Israel's Army Says That The Number Of Women Serving In Its Combat Units Had Reached A Record Level This Year

Female soldier, Lotem Stapleton, a physical education officer, demonstrates a move a during a training session in Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defence technique, at a military base in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights March 1, 2017.. (photo credit: NIR ELIAS / REUTERS)

Jerusalem Post: Israeli women stepping up as men lose interest in combat roles

2,656 women enlisted as combat soldiers in 2017, an increase of 300 from 2016.

Despite the continued trend of IDF draftees being less motivated to serve as combat soldiers in the IDF, the increase of motivation by women and the shortening of service has allowed combat brigades to fill up, the army has announced.

“Without a doubt, as of today, the shortening of service in the Israeli army has given the IDF more fighters,” a senior officer in the Manpower Directorate said on Sunday during a briefing with military journalists at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Nevertheless, according to the overall data, there remains a slight decrease in combat recruitment from last year and it is expected to continue to drop, the senior IDF officer said, stressing that the main units feeling the pressure from this lack of motivation are Combat Engineers, the Armored Corps, and Artillery.

Read more ....

Update: Israel says record number of women in army combat units (AFP)

WNU Editor: The Israeli Army howevere failed in its ultra-Orthodox recruitment .... IDF again misses ultra-Orthodox draft goal, gets record female combat soldiers (Times of Israel).