IDF News UPDATES: Pilot armored corps program for female combat soldiers fails

After female trainees dropped out of pilot program to serve in armored corps units, IDF command decides to cancel project.
– More on Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorism.

Arutz Sheva Staff

 

The pilot program for female soldiers in the IDF armored corps failed after two of the twelve female recruits dropped out during basic training.

Female IDF soldiers in combat training – IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit

As part of the pilot program, the IDF sought to have three female soldiers serve in a tank and work together with one male soldier.

Following the dropouts, the IDF plans to examine whether the tanks can be manned by an all-female crew. The army stressed that the drive to recruit women into combat service stems from a shortage of manpower, and plans to launch a new pilot program in which only women serve in the tanks.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the exemptions to military service received by haredi yeshiva students this week, the IDF would also happy to establish another haredi battalion despite the financial and logistical implications involved, in the hope that this would ease the burden on several reserve battalions each year.

Merkava tanks along Israel’s border with Lebanon- Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

The Iranian threat on the northern border

The Iranian goal of establishing a Shi’ite crescent from Iran to Lebanon continues to gain momentum. Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah combined have 16,000 fighters in Syria. which could be turned against Israel.

The IDF has retaliated dozens of times over the past year to mortar attacks from Syria. The IDF maintains a policy of zero tolerance for spillover from the Syrian civil war.

 

Hezbollah is changing

Hezbollah currently does not possess precision weapons, despite its numerous attempts to procure weapons capable of striking a target with an accuracy of within ten meters.

The terrorist organization has changed greatly over the last three years, and is currently focused on intelligence gathering, procuring unmanned aerial vehicles, and more. The organization has lost 2,000 fighters in Syria and has seen aid from its Syrian patron shrink.

Hezbollah’s struggle today is mainly internal.The death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s chief of security is not connected to Israel, and Nasrallah’s speeches in which he threatens Israel are directed primarily at the Lebanese people and strengthening the morale of Hezbollah’s fighters.

 

A false quiet in Judea and Samaria

The security coordination with the Palestinian Authority has diminished since the murderous terrorist attack at the Temple Mount in July, and the IDF believes that the likelihood of a deterioration in Judea and Samaria is great. 387 attacks have been prevented in the last year, and the IDF is making every possible effort to maintain quiet in the region.

 

The campaign between the wars

Israel is constantly working to prevent the strengthening of its enemies, including Iran, Syria and the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas. The IDF’s ultimate goal is to thwart offensive terrorist activity. Every year, hundreds of actions are carried out that are not revealed to the public. And according to foreign media reports, Israel has carried out numerous strikes in Syria to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah.

Side-by-side images show the Syrian facility before and after unclaimed airstrike. – Photo: ImageSat International

 

View original Arutz Sheva publication at:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/235531