2010/03/05 by Y. Levy, Yagil Levy · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Gender, Security, and Conflict #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies #Middle East Politics and Society
paper · doi:10.1093/sp/jxq002
crossref issued 2010/03/05 · crossref published 2010/03/05 · crossref published-online 2010/03/05 · openalex publication_date 2010/03/05 · crossref created 2010/03/07 · crossref published-print 2010/06/01 · crossref deposited 2019/02/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Two social changes that have taken place within the Israel Defense Forces—feminism and religiosity—are marching toward a confrontation. It is a clash between two groups that have significantly increased their presence in the combat units since the 1990s. Central to this dispute is the rabbis' demand that men and women be kept separate in combat units, a demand that may reset barriers to the equal integration of women into these units. Using an interpretative methodology, this paper argues that this clash is a multilayered conflict, which is nurtured by institutional interests, cultural symbols, and hidden agendas. It is an asymmetric conflict in which religious groups have a definite advantage.