34% of the IDF are women.

[mids2019]

https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/international-cooperation/idf-leads-the-way-in-gender-integration/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20requiring%20women,jobs%20are%20open%20to%20women.

I think this is sometimes forgotten when talking about the IDF. The small popiualtion of Israel means a significant proportion of its armed forces are women and as such are in danger of being wounded and killed.

I don't think this gender split in the IDF is talked about because it helps people to imagine the IDF consists solely of men when thinking of 'genocide' because women are in general more empathetic and less prone to violence against women and children.

Indeed when reporting of Plestinian casualties a distinction is made between women and men assuming women are non combatants (which in reality they are).

They've always needed to involve the whole population including women since they've always been in danger of attacks from the countries around them or various terrorist groups.

I have no idea why you think o would say knowing there were women in their army would make me think “this can’t be genocide” - was regressive sexism

whwn women are fed the lie that all Palestinians as subhuman terrorists in the making I would expect women to be more than capable of killing then

what Isreal is doing is wrong and evil and it’s legacy will harm innocent Jews for decades if not centuries

The high percentage of women in the IDF is widely-known,OP. Why do you imagine otherwise? Military service is also compulsory for able-bodied Israeli women, unless they’re pregnant or have young children, or Haredi.

I just think that floods of women wanting to join the IDF suggests the view that women are immensely proud of defending their homeland and people. I just really think that women would not want to join an army not it was committing some sort of hideous genocide.

I think women in general are less prone to violence in general in society (on average).

It’s compulsory so how people feel is irrelevant I would imagine if you refuse your conscription then you may get locked up or punished in some other way
Quite a few countries still have compulsory conscription, around 80 though for most it’s just men. You could argue that if women want to be treated the same then why wouldn’t a country include women.

Women are less prone to be violent, the stats play out. Whilst any conflict has innocents die and there is always an argument about if a conflict is justified when it’s state sanctioned it’s different to an individual deciding to kill.

Service in IDF is compulsory in Israel. I know several women who served (years ago), mostly in intelligence or admin roles, not carrying guns at checkpoints. But they do all learn to do the latter.

I'm not sure I understand the relevance of the fact that about a third of the IDF are women, OP.
In a militarised country with compulsory military service for men and women, I'd be surprised if there weren't as many women in the IDF.
I don't see what bearing this fact has on the atrocities that the IDF is carrying out in Palestine.

Some of the most vocal advocates of genocide and ethnic cleansing have been Israeli women. At least in the Knesset. The most extreme leader of the settler movement on the West Bank is a woman. As Barbara Ehrenreich said - in relation to the torture at Abu Ghraib - a vagina is no substitute for a conscience.
Having said that I'm sure there are many decent young women in the IDF. Some of the recent whistle-blowers have been women for example.

I just think that floods of women wanting to join the IDF suggests the view that women are immensely proud of defending their homeland and people.
No doubt they are

I just really think that women would not want to join an army not it was committing some sort of hideous genocide.
But they are . I am not sure what point you are trying to make. There is a huge percentage of women in the army so that means there are no genocidal activities in Gaza, the two are not mutually exclusive.

Not sure if you saw this interview with an Israeli settler mother by C4 news, she seemed unconcerned and pretty gleeful at the prospect of Gazan children being killed. Her interview is at 2.21

I think you might want to do a whole lot more reading about Israeli cultural norms. And examine your thinking. Your ‘logic’ seems to be suggesting that if the IDF is one-third women, then it can’t be committing genocide? Is this what you’re actually saying? Why?

You think women are not capable of heinous war crimes? Of being complicit in genocide? I suggest some history education may be of benefit.

With specific reference to the IDF, many are conscripted, regardless of their sex. It is one of the few armies that this applies to women. So, you cannot make any evaluation of how they feel about the genocide in Gaza. They may be quite onboard with it, or completely opposed but have no choice.

Have you ever written a comment on Mumsnet saying the same about the evils of Jihadism , Islamism and its intention to wipe out Jews, non Muslims, LGB, and how this evil will harm Muslims for decades, if not centuries going forward?
If not, why do you so casually force team Israel with world wide anti Semitism as if anti Semitism should be the default reaction to Israeli actions that negatively effect Palestinians?
I 'm just trying to see something.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/lacking-haredi-manpower-idf-turns-to-womanpower-1-in-5-fighters-are-now-female/

More and more women in Israel are looking to join their defence forces and so it shows within Israel there is a continuing awareness of the threats the country faces. I think women are wanting to serve their nation and so to that end are not seeing the war in Gaza as genocide but as a just war of an embattled nation.

It is just another fact that is ignored when people try and a pint the IDF as some sort of amorphous mass of sociopathic genocide maniacs; they are not.

When the term genocide is used so freely I wonder who people see as the perpetrators of the genocide. Is it Israeli leaders, the armed forces or Israeli society in general?

You can see how unconsidered use of the term genocide leads to stigmatisation of Israelis and anti semitism more generally.

I think most people can separate Muslims and extreme Islamic acts and therefore hopefully can separate Jewish people and unlawful acts of some soldiers in the IDF. Listening to how some talk it makes me wonder though.

Either anti Muslim sentiment or anti semitism shouldn't result but sadly we know it does.

After WW2 the world moved forward for the better with regards to relationships with Germany and Japan. There was a genuine want to improve life for all. So many lives were lost by all, yet no ongoing terrorism continued. The problem with this conflict is will the Terrorism stop if the conflict ends. Hopefully, but if Hamas remains then probably not.

They don't get much of a choice
I believe that military training (some might say indoctrination) starts at 14 for both sexes.
Women can do (almost) anything men can, and that includes commit war crimes.
If your sole defence against Israels actions in Gaza being that the IDF has lots of women in it then its pretty weak.

Eh? It’s compulsory. It’s national service. Two years for women, three for men (followed by Reservist duties or full-time military career).

I’d say it’s important to remember that this is a population wide, national defence based system. Israel lives surrounded by people who would happily eradicate them- not rule them, not minoritise them, eradicate them. It’s a different mindset to ours in mainland uk. We haven’t been invaded for centuries.

Interesting. Do you have a reference for when and how this training starts? What age does live weapon training start, or is it like cadets/scouts in the UK?

There are other countries where military service is required of citizens, South Korea for instance (can't imagine why🙄) but of course like national service in the UK you choose/are posted to various roles. I have known people who served as medics, engineers, sigint. In ww2 women who served were rarely on the front line (SOE was an exception) but times have changed.

I think the manner in which the IDF has behaved just highlights the widespread hatred some Israelis have for Palestinians- doesn’t matter if they’re male or female IDF. Though you could argue that due to males being more likely to be violent that having women has lessened the genocide and it could be much much worse for the victims of murder and maim in Gaza.

I think you’ll find it’s 17

Unless you are studying at a Yeshiva. Then you provide the moral justification while other people kill and die. Similar to the madrassas where they indoctrinate young Muslims in Saudi Arabia. Though I understand this get out clause is annoying many Israelis , a large number of whom are atheists.

People in the UK can only imagine. We aren't under constant bombardment by missiles, we don't have an iron dome and household/public bomb shelters as standard (anymore - though some houses still have them from ww2).
We have had suicide bombers and jihadists attacks but not on a regular basis like Israel.

I note that Ireland are very pro-palestinian. Experience in the UK has polarised many more in sympathy with Israel.

Yes, ‘the Religious’ and their exemptions/lifestyles/state benefits are proving to be an increasing contentious issue in Israel society and politics, both right and left wing.

Interesting… I did not know the proportion of women was so high though it does make sense.

Women are just as capable of doing bad things as men are.