Security

Israeli Army: Never Mind the Uproar, Here's Our Beauty Queen (Updated)

Israel is in an uproar about alleged brutality in Gaza, and rabbinical interference in military matters. The Israel Defense Forces, however, would like to talk about their new beauty queen. The top item today on the IDF website is the story of Adi Rodnitzki, a corporal in the Israel Navy who recently won the Miss […]

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Israel is in an uproar about alleged brutality in Gaza, and rabbinical interference in military matters. The Israel Defense Forces, however, would like to talk about their new beauty queen.

The top item today on the IDF website is the story of Adi Rodnitzki, a corporal in the Israel Navy who recently won the Miss Israel 2009 contest.

Rodnitzki -- helpfully described as "single, 20 years old and from Tel Aviv" -- won a three-month service deferment to prepare for the contest. But the rigors of the pageant, she added, helped prepare her for her military tasks. “I learned how to work hard," she said. "The rehearsals and the pressure weren’t easy but they made me stronger. I learned to deal with situations that were difficult for me, physically and mentally. Learning about personal communications also contributed for my preparation as a soldier.”

The Israeli beauty queen is now prepping for the 2009 Miss Universe contest this summer in the Bahamas. Meanwhile, the Israeli military is scrambling to respond to allegations that its troops -- encouraged by lax rules of engagement -- killed Palestinian civilians and vandalized property in Gaza.

Ha'aretz, which first published testimony of troops who served in the Gaza operation, reports today that the IDF has opened an investigation into those allegations. It quoted IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi as telling a group of new recruits the Israeli forces "acted morally and ethically" during Operation Cast Lead. "If there were incidents like these, they were isolated," he added.

UPDATE: The Lede looks at how the huge differences between the English and Hebrew versions of the IDF's site. "A look at the two versions of the site today shows that the series of rotating images across the top of the site’s English home page still starts with seven straight images of female soldiers, while the parallel Hebrew version starts with images of male soldiers, with only one photograph of female soldiers among the first seven."

[PHOTO: IDF]

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