Recent news reports have revealed that ISIS has started deploying more women as suicide bombers — a disturbing turn in an already deplorable tactic.
But when it comes to our side fighting back against terror, women are indispensable as well and are especially suited for the task – although, of course, in a very different manner.
How could I possibly know this?
Simple. In my younger years, I joined my husband on his secret missions for the Mossad, the Israeli national intelligence agency. He relied on me because, when we went undercover, I could gain access to areas that were off limits to men.
From a social standpoint, I could help create access to influential families, terrorist supporters, and the entire supportive structure of radicalization in ways that men could not.
I could strike up friendships with the wives of our enemies. A morning tennis match that was just a fun outing for the other woman was all part of an ongoing intelligence-gathering mission for me.
My husband, as adept as he was, could not have had the success he did as an undercover operative had I not been there, creating a social agenda, befriending leaders’ wives at the club and hosting events at home.
I know that’s not the image most people envision when they think of the dangerous world of espionage. For many people, movies and spy novels set the tone. They imagine Tom Cruise clandestinely breaking into a high-security area via the rooftop or James Bond coolly rescuing himself with a gadget supplied by Q.
But odd as it may seem to many, socializing is a critical and effective part of espionage. I just happened to be a socialite trained to handle a rifle and a handgun. Some of my operations experiences are included in my book, “Married to the Mossad.”
Not everyone is cut out for the Mossad — male or female — but I do think there are some ways those of us on the feminine side hold an advantage. We women improvise better and can certainly seem more innocent, yet we can also be brave and fearless when the time arrives.
Women think differently and it’s important that they be part of any organization or committee that deals with defense and security.
This is well understood in Israel, where I was born and grew up and where women are not just welcome in the military, but are obligated to serve and are drafted, just like men.
Recently, much was made in the American press of how Gal Gadot, the star of the feature film “Wonder Woman,” served in the Israeli army. But in Israel her service would be considered unremarkable because the military is a matter of course for so many young women.
As someone who lived a double life, confronting the potential for danger on a daily basis, I firmly believe that you can’t win the fight against our enemies without strong, brave women at the front. Even in the most macho environment like the Mossad, CIA or FBI, the women’s role has never been more important.
Without women participating at all levels, this will be a fight we can’t win.
Shalva Hessel, author of “Married to the Mossad,” was raised on Moshav Hibat-Zion in central Israel. She is a software engineer and has managed information systems for companies around the world. When her husband, who served in a senior role in the Mossad, left on secret missions, she joined him as part of his cover. Today she lives in Tel Aviv and is involved in charitable ventures, as well as business management.
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