Twenty supporters of the Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) from around the United States will travel to Israel on March 7 as part of the FIDF Women’s Mission. The women will join officers and soldiers of the IDF to witness the day-to-day operations of the IDF.
Leading the mission is IDF veteran Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gila Klifi-Amir, who served as chief of the general staff’s advisor on women’s affairs and handled matters concerning women’s military service.
“This mission delves into a multitude of facets of Israeli society from the unique perspective of women,” Klifi-Amir, said in a statement. “We will celebrate the hard-won achievements of women in Israeli society, particularly within the context of the IDF.”
On the itinerary is a visit to the Israel Space Agency, where participants will hear from Israel Aerospace Industries’ Deputy General Director of the Space Division Inbal Kreiss, who, together with SpaceIL, designed and built Israel’s first spacecraft “Beresheet.”
Participants will also meet the professional women’s foreign policy and security network Dvorah Forum, visit Ziv Hospital in Zfat and meet with Col. (Res.) Dr. Salman Zarka, head of the Israeli humanitarian hospital that treats Syrian civil war victims. They will also visit an IDF Air Force base and take part in one of Koolulam’s nationwide mass singing events.
“As the first woman to join an IDF battalion commanders’ course, I was challenging societal expectations of women,” Klifi-Amir said. “In this male-dominated environment, if I were to fail, people would say that women simply weren’t capable of getting this far in the army. I felt that an enormous responsibility rested on my shoulders, not just for myself but for generations to come.”
The women of the FIDF will be in Israel March 7 through March 15.
