The Hadassah Foundation is committed to ongoing learning about the field of gender equity, the needs of women and girls in Israel and the United States, and the best practices in philanthropy. We are also committed to sharing what we learn to strengthen and grow the ecosystem of feminist organizations. As part of this work, we have curated several recent news articles that are relevant to the work we do in Israel.
In this post, we explore articles about ongoing issues in Israel, particularly the role of women in war, peace, and diplomacy — and the impact war has on them.
We also regularly share articles about gender equity issues in the U.S. Jewish community and philanthropy. Please note that the Hadassah Foundation does not endorse every view expressed in the articles below.
Grantees in the News
A Different Kind of Diplomacy: Women in Israeli Leadership Can Lead the Way to Peace
Jerusalem Post, August 5
In this op-ed, the co-executive directors of Itach Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice make the case for why Israel desperately needs to implement Resolution 1325. Adopted by the UN Security Council back in 2000, this resolution calls for the representation of women from diverse groups in decision-making on peace and security, the protection of women from all forms of violence, and the integration of a gender perspective into peace and security deliberations. In 2005, Israel was one of the first countries to adopt elements of the resolution into national legislation — but two decades later, not only has this legislation not been implemented, but women have been all but excluded from the government’s decision-making in the Israel-Hamas war, the Iran war, and hostage negotiations. As the op-ed notes, including women isn’t just about equity, but about better results: “Global experience shows that including women from diverse backgrounds in peace efforts leads to more creative, inclusive, and lasting solutions.”
Likud MK Facing Rape Allegation Voted as Knesset Finance Committee Chair
Haaretz, July 29
Ignoring concerns from feminist organizations, the Knesset House Committee approved the appointment of Likud lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, despite an active police investigation into allegations of rape, indecent acts, and witness tampering. Orit Sulitzeanu, CEO of the Association for Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, told Haaretz: “This is a black day in the struggle against sexual violence. The message is clear: victims don’t count, and politicians care only about preserving power.”
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Not Considered: The Effort to Improve Female Students’ Achievements in STEM (in Hebrew)
Channel 13, July 20
If you speak Hebrew, you’ll want to watch this story about the underrepresentation of women in Israel’s tech sector — and how our grantee QueenB is closing the gap by training and empowering a rising generation of female leaders.
More Articles About Israeli Women and Girls
Women Set up Camp in South to Launch Mothers’ Movement to End Gaza War, Free Hostages
Times of Israel, August 11
A new coalition created by Bonot Alternativa (Women Building an Alternative) is inspired by the Four Mothers movement, a group whose advocacy in the late 1990s is credited with helping push the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Omer Steinitz Haskel, one of the women in the new coalition, which set up a protest camp near the Gaza border, told Times of Israel: “We will be here until our leaders choose life, not death. And we will remember, as the four mothers remembered then, that there is no victory without life, and no security without freedom.”
Hadassah Foundation grantee Forum Dvorah’s X post about Pnina Pinhasi.
‘When the Country Needed Her, She Answered’: Israel’s First Female Naval Commando Dies at 97
Ynet, August 11
According to this article, Pnina Pinhasi, who died last month, was the first and only woman to serve as a combat soldier in the IDF’s elite naval commando unit, Shayetet 13. The unit is comparable to the Navy Seals in the United States. Born in Poland, Pinhasi survived the Holocaust hidden in a children’s tuberculosis sanitarium with her siblings. In 1947, she joined the naval branch of the Palmach, one of pre-state Israel’s fighting forces, and the following year was invited to join a covert diving unit of the Mossad. The article reports that Pinhasi, who retired from the unit after the War of Independence, “often outperformed her male counterparts.” Sharing the Hebrew version of the article on X (the headline is “Commando Grandma”), Hadassah Foundation grant recipient Forum Dvorah, which advances women in Israeli national security and foreign policy, called Pinhasi a “groundbreaking heroine” and urged Shayetet 13 to resume welcoming women into its combat forces.
Already Struggling, Single Mothers Among Hardest-Hit Groups in Israel During Current War, Survey Finds
eJewish Philanthropy, August 5
In a recent survey of 371 single mothers in Israel, nearly half (46%) reported a deterioration in their financial situation, while 44% said they see no clear path to recovery and are unable to estimate how long it might take to rebound from the war-induced financial crisis. More than one-third reported forgoing medical treatments for their children, and 61% said they had cut out extracurricular activities due to financial constraints. The survey echoes what Hadassah Foundation grant recipients like Israel Women’s Network, Women’s Spirit, and Itach Ma’aki have been reporting for the past year and a half based on calls to their hotlines and conversations with women in the field.
Empowering the Next Generation: Israeli Girls in STEM Are Leading the Future
Jerusalem Post, August 5
In this op-ed, Janice Weinman Shorenstein, a founding board member of the Hadassah Foundation, writes: “In Israel, a country built on innovation and technological excellence, it is especially critical to ensure that women are fully included in the tech sector. Empowering young Israeli girls to pursue science and technology not only promotes equal opportunity but also strengthens the country’s long-term economic and social resilience.”
A Major Milestone: First Female Drone Squadron Commander Appointed in IAF
Jerusalem Post, July 30
In a groundbreaking moment for women in the Israeli Air Force (IAF), a woman (for security reasons, her name was unpublished) officially took on her role as the first female commander of a UAV squadron. This milestone took place just days after another first for women in the Israel Air Force, when two women graduated from training to become loading inspectors in the IAF’s Unit 757, which specializes in the operational transportation of forces and resources.