K’, an Arab-Israeli from Haifa, “Proud to Serve, No Matter What They Say”

The unusual story of Corporal K’, an Arab-Israeli plane technician, who decided to enlist in the IDF despite all her fears. Today, she maintains combat planes at “The Valley” squadron

Lilach Gonen | Photography: Yonatan Zalk

 

K' with an F-16 Engine

K’ with an F-16 Engine

 

For Corporal K’, a front rank technician at Ramat David Airbase, enlisting in the IDF was not a given. As all her friends began receiving their first military warrants, it still wasn’t clear what awaited her along the way. But against all expectations, K’–an Arab-Israeli from Haifa–decided to enlist in the military. “I was very afraid of my parents’ response”, she shares. “But I had nothing to be afraid of; they were very happy and supportive”.

In the beginning, K’ hoped to serve in the IDF’s border police corps, but found herself instead in the IAF. “I really wanted to be a good soldier and have a significant role”, she says. “A lot of my neighbors called me a traitor, but for me it is an honor to be in the army. This is my country, this is where I was born and I don’t feel like a traitor, I feel proud”.

"I'm responsible for troubleshooting and could even save human lives"

“I’m responsible for troubleshooting and could even save human lives”

Today, she serves as a plane technician in the F-16 squadron “The Valley”. “There were people who told me that they’d only let me clean the planes”, says K’. “And I really never believed that I would ever touch a plane like this. But now, I’m responsible for troubleshooting and could even save lives. I love my job very much, I’m proud to be in the military. I walk around like a lion”.

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View original publication at: http://iaf.co.il/4384-39258-en/IAF.aspx