Israel Overhauls Female Conscript Deployment in High-Security Prisons Amid allegations of sex with Palestinian inmate
In a move that is bound to provoke debate and scrutiny, Israel has decided to halt the deployment of female conscript soldiers in high-security prisons holding Palestinian inmates classified as “terrorists.” This decision comes in the wake of allegations that an Israeli female soldier had intimate relations with a Palestinian prisoner serving a life sentence for a deadly attack on Israeli civilians.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said female soldiers will be banned from being guards in high security prisons-Image Source: Reuters
According to Israeli media, the soldier in question admitted to the affair during questioning and further claimed that four other female soldiers had also had intimate relations with the same Palestinian inmate. The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has transferred the inmate to a segregated wing for further questioning.
This announcement was made jointly by IPS chief Katy Perry and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir further stipulated that by mid-2025, “not a single female soldier will remain in the security prisoners’ wings.”
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This move comes against a backdrop of ongoing controversy surrounding the role of female soldiers in Israeli prisons. Last year, an investigation was ordered into allegations that Palestinian inmates had sexually assaulted female soldiers.
The decision to remove female conscripts from high-security prisons holding Palestinian inmates has reignited discussions on the ethics and effectiveness of using conscripts in these roles. The case will likely reframe the broader discourse on gender roles within the Israeli military, and it has brought to light questions about staffing limitations that have previously prevented such a move.
As the Israeli authorities grapple with the fallout from these revelations, the policy shift serves as an unmistakable testament to the complexities involved in maintaining prison security in a charged political environment.
