Inspired by Gaza war, women seek combat troop donors to father their children

An Israeli sperm bank has reported a marked change recently in what women want from a potential donor — not tall, dark and handsome, but rather military background, preferably in a combat unit.

Rambam Medical Center said there was a sharp increase in requests for samples donated by combat soldiers, or at the very least, those who have served in the IDF, made by women aiming for insemination treatment, Ynet reported on Sunday.

The military trend is in addition to the usual deciding criteria such as hair color, eye color, skin color, height, education, and health background.

“Women build for themselves an ideal profile and picture of who the future father of their children will be,” explained Dina Amnipour, director of the Ramban sperm bank laboratory.

Amnipour suggested that the ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip may have given many of the women new insights into what makes a man.

Since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip on July 8, the country’s two major television channels have featured an almost constant stream of updates from the front, including stories of soldiers who showed bravery in the heat of battle.

“A man who served in a combat unit comes across as someone who has impressive physical attributes that live up to the genetic aspirations of the women,” she explained. “Generally speaking, he will be physically fit and in good health, in addition to other important attributes.”

Every month, 60 women apply for sperm donations, and in recent days, about half of them have asked for donors with a combat background, whereas before Operation Protective Edge the request hardly ever came up. Currently, combat service has become as important as height and intelligence.

Curious medical staff checked their records and discovered that all of the current donors in the sperm bank had served in the army and half were in combat units, which should come as quite a relief for potential mothers-to-be.