Female infantry officer wins medal of valor for 2014 battle

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot approves medals of valor for Capt. Or Ben Yehuda and 1st Sgt. (res.) Yuri Zuyev for their role in battles against terrorists who attempted to infiltrate Israel from the Egyptian Sinai.

“The two prevented the infiltration of dozens of terrorists into Israeli territory and fought with initiative, determination, mission commitment and striving for victory” during an October 2014 attempted infiltration, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit says.

Ben Yehuda is an officer in the Karakal mixed-gender infantry battalion that patrols the country’s southwestern frontier. She is a rare example of a female combat infantry soldier winning the medal for her performance under fire.