Women redefining power in Israel

Michal Mor is one of the most prominent and influential figures in Israel’s defense and security arena over the past decade and has been recognized as one of the most influential women shaping Israel’s national security. As Founder and CEO of Smart Shooter, she has led a profound revolution in precision combat - integrating artificial intelligence, advanced image processing, and an innovative operational concept to redefine how soldiers engage threats on the modern battlefield.

Mor holds a master’s degree in Industrial Psychology and Human Factors Engineering from the Technion. She began her career at Rafael, where she led development teams in the Missile Division. In 2011, she co-founded Smart Shooter together with Avshalom Ehrlich, the company’s CTO, with a clear vision: to revolutionize small-arms combat by bringing advanced precision capabilities to maneuvering and defensive forces.

Under her leadership, Smart Shooter developed the SMASH family of fire control systems that have proven their operational value, particularly in addressing the rapidly growing drone threat. As warfare evolves and the drone threat becomes increasingly prevalent, Mor has led an approach that empowers maneuvering and defensive forces, equipping them with the tools they need to protect themselves and their teams while maintaining a decisive operational advantage.

Following the deployment of the company’s systems by armed forces across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and additional NATO countries, Smart Shooter recently completed its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, valuing the company at NIS 900 million. This milestone reflects not only the company’s business success, but also the growing international recognition of the operational impact of the unique technologies Mor has brought to the modern battlefield.

The State of Israel is a country in which one of the central fronts of war is not just security-related, but psychological. The struggle with trauma is an inseparable part of national resilience, and Israel is considered one of the world’s leading countries in the development of diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress. One of the key figures who has shaped this field is Prof. Zahava Solomon, an Israeli researcher with a PhD in Psychiatric Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Prof. Solomon is a world-renowned scholar in the field of extreme stress reactions. As a professor of social work at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University, she laid the foundation for understanding combat shock, former prisoners of war, and victims of terrorism. Her studies, which began as part of her work in the IDF’s Mental Health Department, transformed the perception of combat reaction from a temporary phenomenon into an enduring injury, with long-term consequences.

In recognition of her exceptional contribution, she has received a series of prestigious awards: in 2008, she was awarded the Laufer Prize by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies for outstanding academic contribution to research in the field; in 2009, she received the Israel Prize for Social Work Research; and in 2016, she was awarded the EMET Prize for her scientific and research contributions, one of Israel’s most important scientific honors. Her work has directly influenced treatment and rehabilitation policy in Israel and worldwide, positioning her as one of the leading figures in trauma research on the international stage.

Revital Ben-Tzur Yosef is an example of the power of civic initiative in times of crisis. A former high-tech and analytics professional, she chose not to stand by when fighting broke out on October 7, 2023. Realizing that many soldiers lacked basic equipment and a sense of home, in her Tel Aviv home she established “Revital’s Operations Room – A Touch from Home,” an initiative that began as a personal effort and quickly grew into a large-scale support network.

What started in a modest living room, blossomed into a civilian movement connecting volunteers from across Israeli society and even Jewish communities around the world. Revital successfully mobilized people, organizations, and communities for a single purpose: to provide soldiers not just with equipment, but with moral support and a sense of belonging.

To date, more than 500 activities have been carried out through her operations’ room, all reflecting mutual responsibility and solidarity during an exceptionally challenging period. Her work goes beyond supplying equipment, it builds bridges between sectors, fosters unity, and gives meaning to everyone who wishes to contribute.

Revital transformed a spontaneous response to hardship into a living, breathing community framework. She represents a new form of civic leadership: one that acts quickly, connects people, and demonstrates that social solidarity is a strategic strength of Israeli society.

Alice Miller is an aeronautical engineer and social trailblazer who has become synonymous with gender equality in the IDF and Israeli society at large. Her petition to the Supreme Court in the 1990s led to a landmark ruling that opened the doors of the pilot training course to women and reshaped the landscape of combat service in the IDF. Since then, women have served as pilots, fighters, and commanders, a reality born from a determined struggle for equal opportunities.

After ten years of service as an engineer and officer in the Air Force, Miller spent many years in the aeronautics and high-tech sectors, including roles developing technologies for the space industry.

Later in her career, Miller turned to international humanitarian work. As CEO of the NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, named after peace activist Abie Nathan, she leads an Israeli organization operating in disaster zones around the world. Its activities have included: rehabilitating fishing communities affected by the tsunami in Sri Lanka; deploying medical teams and post-trauma experts after the Haiti earthquake and providing long-term rehabilitation support. They have operated a mobile dental clinic in remote villages in Nepal; addressed infectious diseases and prevented epidemics during floods in Kerala, India; provided medical and trauma care in the Atlas Mountains villages in Morocco following the 2023 earthquake; and deployed an aid mission to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa.

One of the association’s flagship projects focuses on helping women who have no means to protect themselves during menstruation, providing them with reusable sanitary pads. During the Operation Swords of Iron conflict, the organization also delivered medical supplies and hygiene kits to women and girls in Gaza through international partners.

Salwa Abu Yousef is a leader of the Druze community in the town of Bonot. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Education, a certification in Expressive Arts Therapy, and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from Bar-Ilan University. She works in arts-based therapy with at-risk youth and also serves as a facilitator and lecturer in education, gender, and women’s empowerment.

About a year and a half ago, inspired by a post from Dr. Adva Berkovitch Romano about home-based discussion circles on women’s issues, Salwa launched similar circles for Druze women. She began hosting meetings at home, sharing them on social media, and inviting women to participate. After attending her first training in Bonot Modi’in, she established a formal group, connecting women across Druze towns in the Carmel and the Galilee.

In March, the movement officially launched at a large event in the town of Maghar. Nearly 120 women from Druze towns, across all age groups and backgrounds, attended. Today, the initiative has two WhatsApp groups totaling around 400 women from the Carmel and Galilee regions.

Among its most significant initiatives, the group collected donations for women in Sweida and sent a letter to the UN calling for urgent intervention to stop violence against women and girls. Salwa also helped lead a campaign to collect pills for women in Syria. The Druze sheikh issued a religious ruling (fatwa) permitting their use, and the community was, and remains, an integral part of the emergency operations center (Hamal) established by Sheikh Tarif in Julis. Salwa worked directly with the Sheikh to secure approval for the ruling and the campaign.

Her work reflects grassroots leadership rooted in faith, solidarity, and social responsibility.