Parents of female IDF observers threaten army with lawsuit to remove them from border areas

A group of parents of female IDF field observers has threatened to appeal to the High Court, demanding the Israel Defense Forces relocate their daughters from the northern border to a rear base, according to Israel's KAN News.

The situation of the IDF’s field observers, most of whom are women and based close to the border, received much attention after the Nahal Oz military base was overrun by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.

The terrorists killed most of the female soldiers and kidnapped several others while filming themselves abusing them.

Field observers are tasked with surveilling the border areas via cameras, and work in an operation room which, the parents argue, does not have to be close to the border but could be located anywhere in the country.

Observers do not receive combat training nor do they regularly carry arms, making them dependent on the protection of combat units in the event of a cross-border invasion.

The parents argue that their daughters are in “daily danger to their lives and experience anxieties, fears, burnout, and fatigue, which impair their functioning." The statement continued, "No one stops for a moment and examines why only they remained in the section while other female observers were evacuated.”

A letter of termination of proceedings was sent to several authorities before applying to the High Court, in which the parents demanded to know why some observers remaining on the northern border will not also be evacuated to a rear position and if there is a plan to ensure their evacuation or protection during active combat.

“My daughter asks why they are waiting to evacuate us, if a soldier asks such a question, we must act,” Marganit Erez, mother of an observer, told KAN News. “They can do the work from anywhere, even from the [IDF HQ] Kirya in Tel Aviv.”

Parents of female observers already issued a warning in February and threatened not to allow their daughters to return to the Arar base in the Golan Heights.

The northern border has been in a de-facto state of war since Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8 of last year, with several IDF bases having been directly hit by Hezbollah fire.

In the aftermath of Oct. 7, hundreds of women have refused to enlist in the field observer unit, with many citing fears caused by the killing and kidnapping of the field observers at the Gaza border.

An IDF spokesman responded: “We are aware of the feelings of the observers and their parents and are at their disposal to provide them with the best envelope to carry out their duties professionally while maintaining their safety.”

“Observers have an important and significant role in protecting the security of the citizens of the State of Israel, in thwarting terrorist attacks and harming the enemy. The request was forwarded upon receipt to the relevant authorities in the IDF and a written response will be forwarded to the authorities directly.”