For the first time in Israel Air Force history, a pilot school cadet is undergoing a gender reassignment procedure, Israel Hayom reported on Wednesday.
The Air Force provided him/her with the conditions appropriate to his/her needs, including a separate shower and living quarters, but the procedure is not funded by the military. However, the IDF website explains that “as a rule, during the service, a medical response will be provided by a military clinic, including unique issues related to the gender adjustment process.”
It should be noted that the pilot school does not play favorites with anyone, women, men, and of course transgenders. Every cadet must meet high criteria to determine whether they would continue and complete the program successfully.
It is estimated that several dozen transgenders currently serve in the IDF. When it comes to the length of their service, the army regulations insist that transgenders serve according to the sex noted in their birth certificate: if you were born male you’ll serve 32 months, skirt and all; female: 24 months, and do shave that mustache.
Major General (Res.) Avi Motola, the former commander of Ariel Sharon base, a.k.a. Training City, told Ynet in 2019: “There are transgenders here. This is a phenomenon that is expanding in the IDF, and the tolerance toward this population is wonderful in my eyes. When a transgender soldier arrives here, he/she receives a dedicated response according to his/her stage in the process. This is an achievement, and I am personally involved in it. We have several transgender soldiers, including among the training staff, who receive from us an infrastructure that’s adapted to them such as rooms and showers. We stress the value of accepting the other, whoever the other is. This is not related to the training but to our role as commanders in the IDF.”
