Homosexuality and the Israel defense forces: Did lifting the gay ban undermine military performance?

In this article we argue that Israel's 1993 decision to lift its gay ban di d not influence military performance, Then we assess three arguments raised by experts who claim that Israeli experiences are not relevant for determi ning what would happen if the U.S. Congress and Pentagon lifted the America n gay ban. In particular, we assess the arguments that most gay Israeli com bat soldiers do not disclose their sexuality to peers, that some receive sp ecial treatment, and that cultural differences distinguish the U.S. and Isr aeli cases. We agree with each argument, but our interpretation of them dif fers from experts who believe that Israeli military experiences are irrelev ant. While no single case study can show decisively what would happen if th e U.S. changed its policy, we suggest that the Israeli experience lends som e weight to the claim that American military effectiveness would not declin e if known homosexuals were allowed to serve.