Not just 'chicks with guns'

March 14, 2006 4:27 PM

Rachel Papo - photographer and soldier Some great pictures from Rachel Papo, a photographer and sometime (1988-90) soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces...
posted by runkelfinker (21 comments total)

Man, it's annoying when people don't take the effort to make a FPP more informative than a single link. By, for example, doing a Google search and highlighting some of the more interesting results.
posted by scrump at 5:02 PM on March 14, 2006

Yeah I immediately looked her up on Google too. Still a great post, the photos linked are fantastic. And the rest of her photography is just as strong.

When faced with a human being standing still certain photographers seem to be blessed with a natural ability to make that type of shot interesting and effective - these are the best I have seen in a long time.
posted by fire&wings at 5:34 PM on March 14, 2006

Chicks with guns.

Über win.
posted by Floach at 5:38 PM on March 14, 2006

Hot Jewish Women with Guns and Armor.

NICE!

(strokes his bayonet)
posted by roguescout at 5:47 PM on March 14, 2006

Nice post, thanks. There's something so bizarre about seeing women going about their daily lives, buying stuff and chatting on the phone - with assault rifles. As I understand it, when you're in the Defence Force, you have to pretty much keep your gun with you at all times, so it gets really surreal in ice cream stores and night clubs.

I don't think it's annoying that not everyone thinks a post needs to tell me what's interesting, or do the google search we're all entirely capable of, and if I did I wouldn't crap in the first comment of the thread about it.
posted by freebird at 6:07 PM on March 14, 2006

It looks like they're at camp.

I thought the one link was just fine.
posted by stavrogin at 6:12 PM on March 14, 2006

Freebird:

That's because you lack ambition.

runkelfinker:

[this is good]

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
posted by scrump at 6:26 PM on March 14, 2006

I once met an IDF soldier on a train ,and we got to talking and she showed me pics of her base etc, and I was struck by the normalcy of the photos. Everything seemed informal and casual, and these photos by Rachel Popo have the same effect.

so it gets really surreal in ice cream stores and night clubs.

And in buses, especially just before the weekend, when you have to watch out to avoid getting poked in the eye by one of these guns. Considering the fact that the soldier have to accoutn for bullets, they seemd remarkably causal about the bullets as well. I remember having to draw one guy's attention to the fact that he was dripping bullets on the bus :)
posted by dhruva at 6:31 PM on March 14, 2006

Best thing about Israel: Hot girls. With guns.

Worst thing aobut Israel: Girls need to carry guns, man!
posted by zpousman at 7:04 PM on March 14, 2006

Beautiful photos -- thanks for the link, runkelfinker.

Next on Metafilter: link to pictures of male soldiers carrying guns inspires comments about how the soldiers are sexual objects. Hottttt cocks and guns! LOL hurf durf chauvinism! Insert clever drooling emoticon here.
posted by equipoise at 7:12 PM on March 14, 2006

That's who the Arabs want to wipe from the face of the earth? (FAGS!) Actually this was a cool post. I've always wondered about how they have females in the IDF, but it doesn't look all COED like I heard about.
posted by snsranch at 7:12 PM on March 14, 2006

It is good to show the human face on both sides of this conflict, and nice since I just watched Gaza a while ago.
posted by tweak at 8:08 PM on March 14, 2006

after watching Gaza Strip, that is.
posted by tweak at 8:09 PM on March 14, 2006

Nice and interesting post and document, thanks.
posted by semmi at 8:27 PM on March 14, 2006

Holy schnikees, where can I meet the blonde?

And this one? I'm in love.

Ouch. Why is my wedding ring getting red hot? It's like she knows or something...
posted by frogan at 8:27 PM on March 14, 2006

Bikini girls with machine guns!

Frogan: Israel, I'd imagine.
posted by Jawn at 9:42 PM on March 14, 2006

Serious question: Are violent crimes against women really low in Israel? I mean, if all these young women carry bloody assault rifles around...
posted by phrontist at 11:36 PM on March 14, 2006

Nice and weird pictures.
posted by OmieWise at 5:52 AM on March 15, 2006

The rifles do not have the clips in when they walk around with them. Most female IDF soldiers end up making coffee for some sexist general. Ask around, and most (not all) women who served as part of national service will tell you that their time there was pretty blase. If they really want, they can do more dangerous stuff, but it's not the norm.
posted by cell divide at 6:44 AM on March 15, 2006

I agree, one link is just fine. It's obviously easy to look up more info if need be. The photos posted were really cool.
posted by chunking express at 4:34 PM on March 15, 2006

A few years ago, I went on a Birthright Israel trip, and our group of young jewish canadians was matched up with a group of young Israeli soldiers, in an attempt at getting some sort of cultural dialog going, I guess. Of the ten soldiers, only one was a girl - and she was the ranking officer! Apparently, the girls often get the more senior 'managerial' or specialist roles - so while they aren't necessarily put into as many potential combat situations, they aren't all making coffee for the generals either.

Incidentally, all ten of the soldiers were smokin hot - like unbelievably sexy, all of them. It was a good trip. (I'm a girl.)
posted by Kololo at 9:38 PM on March 15, 2006