Avigdor Liberman at the new training base's inaugration
Avigdor Liberman at the new training base's inaugrationAriel Hermoni/ Defense Ministry

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) on Wednesday morning spoke about integrating women into IDF combat units.

"The IDF is not promoting any agenda, whether feminist or chauvinist," Liberman said. "It promotes only one agenda: Israel's security."

Regarding Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah's threats against Israel, Liberman said, "No one can defeat Israel's Defense Forces. The IDF in its current composition can defeat every enemy. I hope, as does everyone else, that we will not come to war with Hezbollah."

On Wednesday morning, an first-of-its-kind coed IDF training base was inaugurated. The new base will serve as a basic training base for coed units, preparing the soldiers for their induction into light infantry units. According to Channel 2, the new base is made specially for female combat soldiers, and contains more doctors and dentists. It also has a mental health doctor and additional physiotherapy hours, as well as an OB/GYN and other medical experts who will offer weekly appointments.

According to reports, expectations of the results of training exercises have been adapted to the needs of female combat soldiers, and body-building exercises will be improved and expanded to include special orthopedic exercises for women.

The regiment commander who runs the School for Border Protection and Reconnaissance, Lieutenant Colonel Jacki Ben-Yakar said, "This is a milestone event. From now on, all infantry units will undergo their basic training at the same base."

"We are training all troops, in all sectors, according to their future needs, the border protection operations and routine security measures they will carry out.

"We are consolidating our efforts by creating a regimental training base, and we crated new infrastructure as well: Classrooms, vehicles, shooting ranges, and we will soon have a shooting simulator which will help infantry soldiers deal with security issues which may come during their time protecting our borders.

Science shows female combat soldiers face increased risk of orthopedic issues and other issues, and male combat soldiers are injured more often in coed combat units than they are in all-male combat units.

The IDF, too, admits that there are serious issues with women in combat, but continues to reduce the standards for combat readiness and training exercises.