For the first time in the history of the Israeli air force, a woman was appointed commander of an operational squadron. On Aug. 7, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, Israeli air force commander, appointed Major G. to command the air force’s espionage squadron and promoted her to the rank of lieutenant colonel.  “I am happy about the appointment,” Major G said in a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “A great privilege alongside a great responsibility. The real work is still ahead. I am proud to serve in the air force.” G., a mother of two whose husband is also an officer in the air force, is the first woman pilot to be promoted to that rank during her service. She is also the first woman to command an operational squadron (although another woman was previously appointed commander of a maintenance squadron).

The systems with which the Israeli air force gathers intelligence and conducts espionage operations are considered among the most advanced in the world. They are now overseen by a woman. According to one senior air force officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, data and experience alike both prove that the results of appointing women commanders are “no less professional, and perhaps even more professional than if these jobs were being done by a man.”

The Mossad, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the air force are three of the strongest Israeli brands in the world. As conservative and religious forces in Israel gain strength, more and more attempts have been made recently to exclude women from public and military spaces. The air force is moving in the opposite direction and at a dramatic pace. The very fact that the air force, like the Mossad, is a closed system and an almost isolated bubble in the larger IDF allows its commanders to make decisions based on relevant, professional considerations, while ignoring all the background noise. The air force has pushed the envelope to the edge. So has the Mossad.

As of now, the air force is almost entirely open to women. No gender distinction is made between the people serving in it, giving the air force the luxury of selecting candidates for different positions from a much bigger pool than is currently available to the IDF. After all, the air force pool includes women, who make up some 51% of the total population. Apart from certain extreme posts (such as combat positions in the air force’s elite Shaldag Unit, where candidates are expected to be able to carry heavy weights that most women might find hard to lift), almost all positions are open to women, and, in fact, have been filled by women over the past few years. “It’s simple,” a senior officer in the air force explained to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “The more we increase the number of candidates, the more likely we are to get the best people to fulfill them, since we can choose from a much richer pool.”