First Female Arab Combat Soldier in IDF is Proud to Serve Israel

Israel Defense Forces Website ^ | July 26th, 2010 | Rotem Caro Weizman

[GravityFree]

“Look at the beret,” says Elinor, smiling from ear to ear, showing off the bright green beret that she earned after completing the trek which is part of her combat training in the Karakal Battalion. Her excitement is accompanied by a new historical precedent, since Elinor is the first Arab female combat soldier in IDF history.

Cpl. Elinor Joseph was born and raised in an integrated neighborhood of Jews and Arabs in Haifa, but attended a school in which all her classmates were Arab. She later moved to Wadi Nisnas, an Arab neighborhood where she currently lives. Despite the fact that she would always wear her father’s IDF dog-tag around her neck from when he served in the Paratrooper’s Unit, she never thought she would enlist. “I wanted to go abroad to study medicine and never come back,” she said. To her father it was clear that she would enlist in the IDF, as most citizens in Israel do. This was something that worried her very much. “I was scared to lose my friends because they objected to it. They told me they wouldn’t speak to me. I was left alone.”

[GravityFree]

Imagine a similar accomplishment by a Jewish woman in the Muslim world with their intense love of tolerance, diversity, and love of equality for the fairer sex

[Old Teufel Hunden]

She's hot, but I still wouldn't trust her when out on patrol...

[SoCal Pubbie]

Not guilty. Besides, she’s a medic.

[steve8714]

With a name like Elinor Joseph she’s probably born of Christians chased out of Lebanon.

[Nihil Obstat]

She is Christian

[Menehune56]

From the article Cpl. Elinor Joseph sounds quite trustworthy IMHO.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Besides, she’s a medic."

Don't medics carry sidearms in the IDF forces?

[rahbert]

Beduoins also serve in IDF, including in the Golanis.

[JLS]

Well apparently her father was also was in the Isaeli military and served in combat. Does that alter your opinion?

[TheThirdRuffian]

Not guilty, patriotic, Christian Israeli. Mrs. TTR may have competition.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Well apparently her father was also was in the Isaeli military and served in combat. Does that alter your opinion?"

That's a good start. May have to pat her down for any concealed weapons before starting on patrol... :)

[MuttTheHoople]

Nothing wrong with Arabs, so long as they’re embrace Jesus Christ as Savior.

[ExTexasRedhead]

Great thread.

[El Gato]

She’s a Christian Arab. Not that many of those aren’t pro “Palestinian”.

But I wonder if those green earrings are “regulation”?

[DoughtyOne]

Think about that for a minute. I agree, but then Jesus Christ is not accepted as the Savior of most Jews. Weird twist huh.

[GravityFree]

NOTE TO ALL, I didn't say she was a practitioner of Islam. The article clearly states her religious orientation is Christian. However, she has an ethnic Arab heritage. The point of my post is to illustrate who truly believes in tolerance and diversity.

[Texan Tory]

“Beduoins also serve in IDF, including in the Golanis.”

Yep, and some from the Druze religious community also serve in the IDF. The Druze religion derives from Islam, but is quite different. I have a friend from Lebanon who is Druze, and he does not consider himself to be Muslim.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

She’s probably not Muslim. Arab does not necessarily equal Muslims. There are many Arabs in Egypt who are Coptic, Arabs in Lebanon who are Maronite, and Arabs in Palestine who are Orthodox or Miaphysite. She’s probably from one of the latter two groups.

[End Times Sentinel]

I just KNEW she was going to be hot!

[sc2_ct]

You’re right about the being hot part!