The former commander of Sayeret Matkal, the IDF's elite intelligence-gathering unit, and his deputy have come out in support of four female recruits who have petitioned to test for the army's special forces units.
The four teenage girls, who are about to begin their military service, petitioned the High Court of Justice in May to order the military to open screening tests for all combat units to women.
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Eighteen-year-old petitioners Mika Kliger, Mor Lidani, Gali Nishri, and Omer Saria, said they hoped Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi would allow all potential recruits to try out for elite commando units, regardless of their gender.
"We're not asking that demands be changed for us – just let us try out and if we qualify, let us join the units," Lidani said.
The IDF has until July 20 to respond to the petition. On Sunday, as stated, the former Sayeret Matkal commander and his deputy, whose names cannot be made public, gave the court their professional opinions on the matter, saying they support the petitioners' demand. All women who meet the physical and mental standards for serving in these units, they said, should be allowed to serve in them, just like men.
Their opinion, which was presented by the petitioners' attorneys, stated: "We believe that women can successfully serve as fighters in Sayeret Matkal and that their integration as fighters would provide unique and significant contributions both operationally and organizationally, to Sayeret Matkal in particular and to the IDF in general.
"Today, Sayeret Matkal cannot maximize the potential value [in terms of human resources] because the unit restricts enlistment to men only. Sayeret Matkal was established according to the vision of trailblazing warriors; we can assume that were it created today – the unit and its training course would certainly be opened equally to men and women to capitalize on the full potential our country has to offer."
The former commander and his deputy said they believe future generations of female warriors would one day command the unit.
"We believe that just as generations of [male] fighters developed and progressed to fill senior command and management positions in the army and beyond, we will also see generations of female fighters become commanders in Sayeret Matkal, lead a diverse array of teams, and proceed to occupy senior positions in the IDF and Israeli society," they said.
The IDF currently allows women to join several combat units via three mixed-gender battalions: Caracal, a light infantry force that is made up of 70% female soldiers; the Lions of Jordan Battalion and the Bardelas Battalion.
The IDF commando canine unit, Oketz, also drafts females as combat soldiers.
The testimony provided by the former Sayeret Matkal commander and his deputy significantly bolsters the petition to allow women to test for the army's most exclusive, grueling and dangerous units under the same criteria set for male recruits.
If they meet all the same physical and mental standards as their male counterparts, the petitioners argue, it is illegal to deny them the opportunity, based on their gender, to serve in those units in a combat role.
The four petitioners are described as exceptional athletes. The father of one of the petitioners served in the navy's elite commando unit, Shayetet 13. Two of the petitioners are experienced marathoners.
Attorney Yanor Bertental, who helped file the petition, said: "The clear and unequivocal statement from the Sayeret Matkal commander and his former deputy strengthens the petition and our request from the IDF chief of staff to open all the army's units to women."
The IDF declined to comment on the matter.
In May, after the petition was first filed, Labor MK Merav Michaeli tweeted: "The IDF is the last Western army in the world that screens people according to their gender and not their abilities. Let's hope the High Court makes sure the IDF stops this humiliation and waste of potential human resources."
According to a study by the Israel Democracy Institute, the number of female combat soldiers in the ground forces has increased exponentially since 2012, when they were first drafted into combat units, reaching up to 2,656 in 2017, while the percentage of female soldiers serving in clerical positions declined.
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