First woman to head Knesset defense committee
Orna Barbivai, a retired major general, is taking over one of the most enviable positions in Israel's male-dominated security establishment: head of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
The Knesset made history April 26 by appointing Orna Barbivai as chair of its Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Barbivai, the first woman to ever hold the position, is number two on Yesh Atid’s Knesset list after party founder Yair Lapid.
In normal times, Barbivai’s achievement would have been cause for celebration. Her story would undoubtedly have opened all the news shows. But these are not normal times. The political chaos plaguing the country has no end in sight and Barbivai, who was also the only female major general in the Israel Defense Forces, has been forgotten in the confusion.
The story received minimal coverage, though women’s groups and women Knesset members have congratulated her. Her appointment is a big step in rectifying the dearth of women in key political positions, particularly the security cabinet.
Barbivai, a 58-year-old mother of three, will assume one of the most enviable positions in Israel's male-dominated security establishment. Not only have only men headed the prestigious committee in all 73 years of Israel’s existence, for years women did not even serve as regular members of the committee.
