Young woman, daughter, mother: female soldiers killed in battle during Israel’s War of Independence (1947–1949)

Abstract

During Israel’s War of Independence (1947–1949), women were a minority in the enlisted forces (10 per cent) and among the victims (9 per cent). Most did not carry weapons, and some were not killed in battle but were victims of other circumstances. This article tells the stories of three female fighters who were killed in battle in that war, outlining their public image in Israel: Miriam Shachor, a Palmach fighter, who was killed in 1947 while defending the Western Negev water line, Rachel Zeltzer Rays, a Lehi fighter, killed in battle in the Old City of Jerusalem, and Mira Ben-Ari, killed during an Egyptian raid on Kibbutz Nitzanim. Each represents an image of a War of Independence female victim that derives from the traditional place of women in a patriarchal society and their status within the family. Despite carrying arms, fighting at the frontline, and falling on the battlefield, they were primarily depicted as women. Their stories thus shed light on the position of women in Israel’s military milieu and the status of women in Israeli society in wartime and between wars.