Amira al Hayb

Amira al Hayb (Arabic: اميرة الهيب‎‎, Hebrew: אמירה אל הייב‎‎; born in 1985) was Israel's first female Bedouin-Arab soldier in a combat position. Al-Hayb served in the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Border Police.

Biography

Amira al Hayb was born in Tuba-Zangariyye in the Upper Galilee. Her family moved to Wadi Hamaam when she was a few months old. At the age of 19, al Hayb decided to join the Israel Defense Forces. While the recruitment of male Bedouin is common in Israel, this was considered taboo for women. Nur al Hayb, "father of the Bedouin soldiers," a disabled IDF veteran from Eilabun village, came to her aid.

Al Hayb had to do the recruit training twice due to language problems but eventually joined the Israel Border Police. Her position as the first female Bedouin soldier attracted media attention. She has met with many leading figures in Israel, among them the Israeli President Moshe Katsav and the Israeli Chief of Staff, Shaul Mofaz. Following her lead, more Bedouin women have joined the IDF.

Amira's brother, Taysir Hayb, received an 8-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the death of International Solidarity Movement activist Tom Hurndall, but was released after five years.