BOOKS & MORE: Female Soldiers in Israel

They are not only attractive, but also unique: Female soldiers in Israel, the only country in the world where women are required to serve in the military. Photographer Simon Akstinat portrays them in barracks in the Negev Desert and the Golan Heights, in the Old City of Jerusalem, on the bustling pedestrian zone of Tel Aviv, or at the run-down bus station. They meet him, his camera, and his questions openly, casually, joyfully, and proud of their service to their country. Behind their beautiful faces are - despite their youth - already interesting life stories. We learn, among other things, why two emigrants from Germany serve in the Israeli military or how an American became a sharpshooting instructor. Akstinat's photo series is not a war report. It deliberately avoids taking a political stance on the Middle East conflict. He shows real women in real uniforms - with real stories.

“Jewish Girls in Uniform: The Only Female Conscripts in the World” by Simon Akstinat, Hentrich and Hentrich Verlag, Berlin 2014, 108 pages, 19.99