In the building on Hatzerim Air Force base where the graduation ceremony for the pilots course took place this week, the line for the womens restroom stretched almost to the door of the stall, ending appropriately under a sign showing a human figure with a round head atop a triangle, the international symbol for "ladies' room." The ceremony had just ended, and a line of mothers, sisters, relatives, friends and newly-minted pilots rushed to the women's restroom. The women waited in line for a long time. Some jumped from foot to foot, and most complained about the fact that there was only one stall for women while there were three for the men, all of them empty, of course. "Well, that's no surprise," one of the women said. "After all, there are more men than women in the pilots' course, so why should they have more stalls for women-" Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox! "Just wait. Itll happen," her friend answered. "Five women graduated just now. It's only a matter of time before they put in more stalls." The topic of discussion gave some of the braver women the courage to bypass the long line and march straight into the mens room. Exclusion of women? Not in the bathroom on the Hatzerim Air Force base. The answer to exclusion The graduation ceremonies for the pilots course last Tuesday began with the awarding of officers ranks and the granting of degrees to the graduates, among them five women a record number in the history of this prestigious course. At a time of social protest over the exclusion of women from public spaces and acts of violence against little girls headed to school, this statistic is even more significant than usual. During the ceremony, the commander of the Hatzerim base, Col. Ziv, referred to the new women pilots in the context of the hot button issue of the exclusion of women. The five women combat soldiers who are graduating from the pilots course and all the women who serve in the IDF you are the decisive and indisputable answer when it comes to the place of women in a democratic country and an enlightened society independent, courageous, equal in responsibilities and rights, an excellent example to everyone, he said. Noa, a new pilot, isn't fazed by her status as somewhat of an attraction at the graduation ceremony. She and her four female classmates are more focused on their joy at having succeeded and the fact that the hardships of the exhausting course are behind them. They have no time to deal with gender struggles. The 22-year-old woman from Ness Ziona initially signed up for the military correspondents course and served for a time on the Air Force newspaper. Then she decided to take the Air Force up on the invitation to participate in the pilots course, just for the challenge. "I'm not worked up about the fact that Im a woman who just completed the pilots course, she confessed. Its something I always wanted, and it was obvious to me that Id use my invitation to the course because I had the opportunity. Its another thing that I had to try in my life. However, Noa admits that as a young woman she found the challenge of the pilots course the bastion of military male chauvinism enticing. When the course began, there were 29 women, so I didnt feel special, she said. As time went by and more women dropped out, I already felt too much a part of the group to feel that I was different. It just turned into a basic desire to succeed in what I did. Q. In todays social context, does having completed the course give you a feeling in some way that youre leading a protest of your own- "Not at all. Three years ago there was no buzz around the issue of discrimination against women. I didn't think it would be making headlines now. Regardless, I'm pleased that it is on the public agenda. Personally, Im very opposed to the exclusion of women. Like everyone here, I suppose." Q. Do you think that as one of the women who completed the pilots course, youre taking an active part in the struggle- Im not doing anything to support the struggle directly. Others, such as Tanya Rosenblit (who refused to move to the back of the bus S.A.) are taking direct action. Some are demonstrating in Beit Shemesh and others are organizing the demonstration on the buses in Jerusalem on January 1. Theyre the activists, not me." Just start a family With a father who is a light transport pilot in the reserves and a younger brother who just dropped out of the pilots course and serves in combat support in the IAF, it is no wonder that Noa set out to complete the prestigious course, even if she wasn't aware of it. Her father, Gideon, sat across from her, beaming with pride. He never pushed his children toward any specific military post, he said, he only pushed them to do things that made them happy. But there is no doubt that the military bug had invaded their home. I never said a word to the children about the military, where to go or what to do, he said, but they saw it at home. We would take them to parties on the base. I dont think that I brought her up consciously to want to get into the pilots course. Noa grew up in a very egalitarian and supportive environment. Maybe thats where she got it from. Yet despite his pride in his daughters accomplishments, Gideon admitted that he has difficulty with the fact that his 22-year-old daughters life will belong to the army for the next ten years. We keep telling her that she needs to be certain that this is what she wants because ten years are a very long time, he said. Even though she has now completed the course, as far as Im concerned shes only starting one of the longest and most difficult chapters of her life. I want her to be confident in her decisions. Q. Do you say that because shes a woman- In principle, yes, but even if it were my son who was graduating from the pilots course I would want him to be satisfied with where he was. Q. Whats the difference- I just think that there are other things in life besides the military, and again, ten years are a long time. There are other things that people want to do with this part of their lives
. Q. Such as- Start a family. No special treatment for women The pilots' course is one of the most challenging courses in the IDF. The old saying, The best men go to the pilots course, was coined with good reason. But today, as the statistics of womens integration in the IAFs airborne units increase, maybe the time has come for a more egalitarian catchphrase. It all began with Alice Miller, an Air Force officer whose petition to the High Court of Justice in 1994 opened the door to military training that women had previously been denied. Since then, women in the military have been afforded no special treatment. The pilots course is just as tough for women as it is for men. Both Noa and her male colleagues in the course repeatedly mentioned this. I dont think that theres any difference between the womens and the mens tracks in this course, said new pilot A., a man, who was present during the interview. Theres no content that is taught only to men or only to women. The assignments throughout the course are the same ones, and everybody has to deal with them together, with no difference. Noa chimed in, saying "think about it: if there really was a difference, girls wouldn't be admitted into the course. But they are. Its a fact. Q. Did you have any crisis moments, moments when you said to yourself, as a woman: What do I need this for- Of course I had crisis moments, like everyone, Noa admitted without hesitation. After I did forty-nine straight days on the base and forgot the way home and even where home was, I had a very hard time. But you have to remember that the difficulty is not only physical, but mental too, and that helps a lot in overcoming it." For example, during hikes, when its tough physically, when its cold and youre tired and hungry and its raining and the tent is leaking, whats hard is the part thats in your head. You have to encourage yourself mentally to go on and not give up. That has nothing to do with being a woman. Everybodys going through the same difficulties, physical and mental." I didnt come in as an underdog, to show that Alice Miller was right, she said. I came in like everybody else, to try to get an equal chance like everybody else, and I dont feel that I was given any special treatment along the way." For example, physically, theres an obstacle course in the first stage aimed at getting the cadets into shape. Initially theres a certain difference between men and women a kilometer less, for example. But gradually, the gap closes and as early as the first stage of the course, everybody finishes at the same level of fitness as far as weight and other variables are concerned, so that when it comes to the big picture, there is no difference.
