A Canadian-Israeli woman, and former Israeli military volunteer, has returned from Syrian Kurdistan, where she has been fighting as a female volunteer with the Kurdish militias against the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group.
First Female Volunteer
Gill Rosenberg was one of the first female volunteers to go fight in the Syrian civil war. Rosenberg first began fighting the Islamic State terrorist group alongside Kurdish YPG units in Syrian Kurdistan. She also fought the terrorist group alongside Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian militia in Iraqi Kurdistan.
A spokesman from Dwekh Nawsha commended Rosenberg saying, “She is a trained fighter with capabilities. She was not afraid.” After she had joined the Kurdish resistance last year, there were false reports that she had been captured by Islamic State group.
Formerly a pilot in Canada, Gill Rosenberg told Israel’s Army Radio Monday that after eight months of fighting in Syria it was time to come home. She said her Jewish values compelled her to “do the right thing not just by our own people, but by any human being.” The Jews and Kurds have a history that dates back thousands of years, and there are still ancient Jewish tombs and synagogues in Kurdistan.
Gill Rosenberg laughs alongside Syrian Kurds.
Legal Troubles
Rosenberg is reported to have spent time in a U.S prison for her part in a phone scam. She claims that part of her reasoning for the Kurdish resistance was to “turn her life around and do something good for a change.” Although Rosenberg may face some legal troubles for illegally traveling to Syria, she is proud of fighting alongside the Kurdish YPG. “For me, it was kind of like seeking redemption, or something, for my past.”
Fighting for Rojava
Most of Rosenberg’s time was spent in the region of Syrian Kurdistan, which is increasingly being called “Rojava,” meaning Western Kurdistan. The armed militias she was fighting with are called the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, and are fighting the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria.
Recently, the Kurds in Rojava have been increasing territorial expansion against the self-proclaimed Islamic State. With the help of US-led coalition strikes, the Kurds have united two of Rojava’s cantons, or districts.
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