From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 11, 2024
IDF reports surge in female draftees joining combat units in latest intake
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF says it has recently seen a massive spike in women joining combat units, releasing data from the first week of the military’s March-April draft.
According to data from the IDF, the draft turnout for female troops in combat units was 157 percent, meaning 57% more than it had initially planned for. For comparison, during the same period last year, the turnout was 102%.
The IDF says that the Border Defense Corps’ light infantry units saw a 158% draft turnout, and the corps’ Combat Intelligence Collection units — where surveillance soldiers serve — saw a 210% turnout.
The Artillery Corps saw a 195% draft turnout; the Air Force’s air defense array saw 114%; the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue units saw 170%; and the Border Police saw 139%.
Similarly, among male conscripts, there has been a rise in soldiers drafting to combat units.
According to the data, the Combat Engineering Corps saw a 122% draft turnout, and the Artillery Corps saw 109%.
The IDF does not release the turnout data for the Armored Corps, but says it is a rise of 130% compared to March 2023’s draft.
