Blowback as IDF opens up more roles for female combat soldiers

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and Religions correspondent Judah Ari Gross join host Amanda Borschel-Dan. Senior US diplomat Amos Hochstein will travel to Beirut next week to discuss Lebanon’s dispute with Israel over maritime drilling in the Karish offshore natural gas field. Fabian explains how the IDF is preparing to defend Israeli interests. On the heals of an in-depth feature on the mainstreaming of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, Gross delves into how Israelis today view the struggle. Who supports and who most definitely does not? Yesterday the IDF announced that it would open more combat roles to female fighters, beyond the mixed-gender light infantry units where some already serve. What is new here? Gross reports on pioneering religious women who have recently been granted state recognition as halachic advisors. Who does this actually affect and who is paying them? Discussed articles include: Top general threatens to target Hezbollah operatives who are building at the border Fighting rabbinic ban, Jewish activists push Temple Mount prayer toward mainstream IDF expands combat roles for women, but says most are not cut out for elite units In milestone, Israeli government to pay salaries of female religious authorities Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Image: Soldiers of the Bardales Battalion prepare for urban warfare training on an early foggy morning, near Nitzanim in the Arava area of southern Israel, on July 13, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.