Re: Should women be allowed to serve in combat?

COME VISIT ME AT CRAZY CHATTING REBORN

LilBonnie187

Re: Should women be allowed to serve in combat?

I thought that they *would* be allowed in Isreal, Choden Kal, so after some research, I managed to find this story from THE JERUSALEM POST. They wanted me to pay $2.00 to access their archives...hehehe.

AS IF

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Women on the front line
By Margot Dudkevitch
Monday October 8, 2001


(August 12) - Margot Dudkevitch joins a Border Police patrol on the outskirts of the Palestinian town of Tulkarm and finds that women are 'part of the scenery' in combat units.

It's early Monday morning. A Border Police unit is checking the identity of an Arab woman driving along one of the roads that used to lead to Tulkarm east of Netanya, but is now blocked off with mounds of earth and boulders.

"There is no reason for anyone to use this road; it leads nowhere, so anyone driving on it raises suspicions," says Border Police officer Supt. Assaf Ravid.

Cpl. Liraz Cohen stands guarding the vehicle as Staff Sgt. Michael Tal asks the woman for documents. Sitting next to the woman is a young boy who sits staring out the window. "Please get out of the car and open the trunk for inspection," says Tal.

Meanwhile Supt. Meirav Amar dictates details of the woman's identity and vehicle to headquarters. Fifteen minutes later the woman is ordered to turn the car around and leave.

Further up the road on the hillside, the unit spots two Palestinians standing in the middle of the road monitoring their movements. Amar peers through her binoculars at the two figures; Tal says he suspects that one of them may be carrying weapons. Cohen dons flak jacket and helmet and raises the roof of the jeep and stands with binoculars monitoring the Palestinians' movements, telling the others on the ground: "They appear to have gone to the left side of the road behind that tree." Ravid and Amar decide to advance to the mound of sand and stones blocking the road at the base of the hill in order to get a better view. They also don flak jackets and helmets, drive up to the mound of earth and peer over the top.

"Keep your heads down; it's not clear what their intentions are and where they are hiding," whispers Amar. There is no sign of the two Palestinians.

"The village is under our security control and there is another patrol on the other side of the village; we don't usually enter the village unless we have reason to," says Ravid.

Returning to the other unit, they decide to inform their superiors and shortly after, an IDF patrol is sent to the site. The four soldiers sweating in the hot sun, wearing flak jackets and full battle gear, enter the bush at the roadside. Their plan is to move through the wadi and make their way up the hill and approach the two Palestinians from the side. The Border Police units monitor their movements, and wait for further updates.

Just as the soldiers reach the site, the Palestinians are spotted fleeing the area in a white Subaru. Immediately, security forces and personnel manning the roadblocks are alerted as well as the security heads of the nearby Israeli communities, Sha'arei Ephraim and Nitzanei Oz. The soldiers return and accept a quick drink of water before returning to their base nearby.

All of those present served with Cpl. Hani Abramov, who was seriously wounded in the face and hands in a drive-by terrorist shooting on July 30 while on operational duty near Bir e-Sika just inside the Green Line. Six years ago, former Border Police Commander Yisrael Sadan, now mayor of Hadera, opened up opportunities for women seeking to take up combat positions.

Today, women who volunteer for combat positions in the Border Police ranks are deployed in an array of positions equal to their male counterparts, with a total of 140 women in combat positions and another 70 currently undergoing basic training. "Our job is to provide security for Israeli citizens and combat terror and crime," said Border Police Commander of the Central Division, Assist. Cmdr. Yitah Avraham. "The girls participate in all tasks, including ambushes, roadblocks, stakeouts and patrols - we don't differentiate between the sexes," he adds. Women in combat positions were initially a cause for concern as commanders feared there would be internal tensions between the sexes, but the fears, says Avraham, proved to be unfounded.

Recently, the Border Police issued a combat pin which it has begun issuing to all personnel in combat positions. Early Monday morning at a base near Maccabim, Avraham presided over a presentation ceremony.

Supt. Amar joined the Border Police around the same time that women were first being recruited to combat duties, and commanded the first female unit accepted to combat positions. Today she is in charge of coordinating security with the nearby Jewish communities. "At first it wasn't easy; we were perceived as freaks and a focus for jokes.

"The quality of the girls applying for combat duty is of a far higher caliber than it was then. However, we work a lot harder in order to prove ourselves. Today, we are considered a part of the scenery. As with the men, there are women on whom I can rely totally to give me the necessary support out in the field, and others who I can depend on less," she says.

"When Hani was wounded, we were all affected as everyone perceived her as being invincible; she is considered to be one of our strongest fighters," adds Amar.

However, Tal and Cpl. Itzik Monatzo have their doubts. "Some of the female fighters cannot deal with all situations; they lack the knowledge and understanding, even though they go through the same training. Some of them you can rely on totally that they will do the job and support you, if needed," Monatzo says.

Tal asserts that difficulties sometimes arise when dealing with the dispersal of an angry Palestinian mob or demonstrators. "The other side are humiliated by the presence of border policewomen, they consider a woman's place is in the home. Because of their primitive attitude, the girls [border policewomen] often become a target, tempers swell, the general atmosphere is unpleasant. If you are the officer in charge, you are confronted with a difficult decision as to whether to deploy the girls in the forefront or on the flanks, he says.

"Many of our female fighters are excellent at detective work and dealing with the Palestinian public when inspecting their vehicles, but we are sometimes faced with difficult choices, especially when we are confronted with an angry mob.

"What happens if someone in the crowd hits one of the girls, breaks her nose or steals her weapon?" he asks, adding, "it is nothing to do with chauvinism, I am talking on a professional basis."

Ravid has no problem serving alongside border policewomen, but declares, "if there is one female fighter who can be totally relied on it's Hani, she is a No. 1 fighter."

The central division is responsible for a 74-kilometer stretch from the coast to the seam-line areas of Judea and Samaria, says Avraham.

"Our foremost mission is to prevent Palestinians without authorization from crossing into Israel. They are potential terrorists and therefore our job is to prevent them from reaching Tel Aviv and Netanya," he says.

He admits, however, that it is impossible to seal the area hermetically. "People managed to get over the Berlin Wall and escape from the Alcatraz prison," he jokes, but notes, seriously, "the presence of our forces, together with the Israel Police and soldiers, helps to hamper attempts by those seeking to cross into Israel. We cannot stop everyone."

Indeed, in an area known as Givat Hashabahim (the Hill of Illegal Entry), a stretch of rubbish-strewn land between Taibe and Tulkarm, three border policemen monitor the movements and foil attempts of Palestinians attempting to enter Israel illegally. Daily they catch at least 400 Palestinians attempting to enter Israel and also foil attempts by Israelis seeking to enter Tulkarm.

"Just before you came, we spotted two Palestinians carrying bags. They could be potential terrorists carrying explosives or weapons. We failed to catch them, but we notified a nearby patrol which pursued them," says fresh recruit Shai Rabi.

"Often they seek alternative routes when they spot security forces," adds Shai Uzana. Ravid explains: "Here there are several Israeli communities, Sha'ar Ephraim and Nitzanei Oz which are in close proximity to the seam-line areas. Many illegal Palestinians work in the fields there, and among them are potential terrorists. Those who are not wanted for questioning by the General Security Service are sent back to the territories."

In addition, security forces also clamp down on Israeli employers who, if caught with illegal workers, face a speedy judicial process and stiff fines. "Our intention is to make them realize that employing illegal workers is not worth their while," says Ravid.

Towards noon, Cohen returns with Ravid and Amar to the base located near Tulkarm and begins cleaning her room with her roommates. Later in the day she plans to visit Abramov in the hospital. Ravid and Amar go to the mess hall to eat before going out once again on patrol. "I rarely get time to eat my meal sitting down - there is always so much work to do," sighs Ravid.

Boosting security on the seam
With the intention of boosting security along the seam-line areas and in an attempt to prevent potential terrorists from the territories entering Israel, the Border Police this week recruited 100 conscripts, including former soldiers from combat units and policemen who served in other positions in the Border Police.

The new recruits will be part of a new Border Police battalion in charge of patrolling the Green Line border area together with additional support from the Israel Police and the IDF.

The Border Police have received government approval for a total of 500 men and women who will be deployed along the seam line.

Due to the security situation, Defense Ministry and government officials are in the process of establishing an overall plan that will deal with the security situation and are examining the possibility of building a security fence and deploying the latest electronic equipment to assist in monitoring the movement of Palestinians attempting to enter Israel illegally.

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Behold, a pale horse, and the man that sat on him was Death

...and HELL followed with him