Dr. Idit Shafran Gittleman

Ahead of the annual 2022 National Security and Democracy IDI published a special survey to examine the views of Jewish Israeli on a series of issues relating to their relationship with the IDF and the country’s security challenges. The survey found that while there is wide support for opening the ranks to women in combat units and a large plurality would prefer that their children serve in the IDF’s technological units.

A broader public debate over the principle of equality is current in Israel and is one of the fundamental rights in a democracy - it should then be clear that the IDF must ensure gender equality - it is possible and must be done. 

The IDF, like every other state institution in Israel, is obligated to the principle of equality – meaning that any woman who is capable of doing so must be permitted to serve in elite combat units

Over the years and especially in recent decades, the concept of gender equality has also become relevant to the discussion of military service, and more and more roles have been opened up to women serving in the IDF. Dr. Idit Shafran Gittleman presents an overview of women in the IDF since its establishment.

The decline in public trust in the IDF is troubling – especially among youngers Israelis who will soon fill the IDF’s ranks. What can be done to reverse this trend?

False quick-spreading claims blamed an IDF soldier's death on overly stringent rules of engagement. What took the military so long to set the record straight?

Despite the significant changes resulting from the expansion of women’s service in IDF units, gender still remains a criterion for screening the assignments of military personnel in 2021

The decision to call in the IDF is dealing a double blow to the country - it is both ineffective and is damaging the public’s trust in the IDF

The last decade has seen the most meaningful changes in gender equality and women’s service in the IDF since the State was established.

What really lies behind the most recent rabbinical directive on modesty in the IDF - and how does it pits religious soldiers against IDF's core values to the extent of risking insubordination. 

Creating a gender-equal military is a complicated task, but the IDF must not forget its responsibility, nevertheless many Israeli soldiers have not been trained on gender equality says Idit Shafran Gittleman.

A controversial decision delivered by the Supreme Court on May 2 could be an important test case for its ability to withstand political attacks, which call to curb the court’s authority and power

On the occasion of International Women’s Day we should devote some thought to the impact the IDF chief of staff's remarks on feminism have on young women who are about to be drafted

The state of Israel has also been grappling in recent years with an intense controversy over the service of women in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which recently came to a boiling point with the amendment of the “Joint Service Order,” which sets out guidelines for women’s military service alongside Orthodox men

It’s time for the people’s army to listen to the voice of the people, and not just to the voice of extremists.

Despite the verdict, the real story in the Azaria affair is the moral, not the legal, issue, and this debate is alive and well.

In a poignant op-ed, published by the Jewish Journal, Dr. Idit Shafran Gittleman confronts the issue of the price a country should pay to bring home its captive soldiers, including those who have been declared dead.

In the aftermath of the Tel-Aviv terror attack, it is becoming increasingly clear that the current round of terror will not end soon. When there are casualties of attacks, not only do security issues arise, but so do medical issues – and these can be equally as complicated. This article originally appeared in Crescent City Jewish News.