Formed in 2004, the mixed-sex Karakal combat battalion, named after a desert cat of the same name, is based in the Negev desert on the border with Egypt and Jordan and composed of both male and female soldiers of both Jewish and Arab descent.
The battalion has been 70% female since 2009.
Soldiers from the Karakal battalion prepare for a graduation march near the Israeli-Egyptian border near Azoz, Israel. All photographs: Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images
The battalion derives it name after a desert cat of the same name whose gender is barely distinguishable, and the battalion number signifies the number of women soldiers who fell during the time of the Palmach elite strike force in the 1940s.
The course is strenuous and identical to that of any other exclusively male battalion.
Since the last 1.5 years; since the fall of longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Karakal’s usual patrolling area near Egypt has become a hotbed of militant activity.
While many troops see Karakal as a publicity stunt and a sop to the feminists, the unit has performed well and has a reputation as a no-nonsense and reliable outfit.
