Tag Archive for IDF

| July 26, 2012
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Just a day before Romney’s visit, Obama is to sign an act expanding US military cooperation with Israel

By signing the U.S.-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act, Obama is trying to upstage Romney for the presidency, as he arrives for an official visit to Israel.

By Barak Ravid

The White House may be trying to steal the thunder from Republican candidate Mitt Romney on the eve of his visit to Jerusalem. A day before Romney is due to land in Israel, U.S. President Barack Obama will sign the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act, which is meant to approve and expand military cooperation between the two countries.

U.S. President Barack Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama. – Photo by AP

The act, which Congress passed a week ago, will be signed by the U.S. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , , ,
| July 23, 2012
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IDF draws New Immigrants from the US

350  Americans immigrate to Israel to join IDF as Knesset debates draft-dodging

By Itamar Eichner

 

While the Knesset toils in the draft-for-all debate, some people can’t wait to enlist. This summer sees a record breaking number of 350 young Jews from North America who will immigrate to Israel to join the Israeli army, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.

Fresh Recruits at Induction Center (archive) Photo: Getty Images

The first plane batch of these patriotic new recruits has already been nicknamed “The Bakum flight of Nefesh B’Nefesh,” with Bakum referring to the IDF induction center.

This plane should arrive in Israel in about three weeks and will host an unprecedented number of 400 immigrants including 130 new IDF recruits. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| July 22, 2012
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What a Surprise for PA Car Thieves: The Driver was a Soldier

Arab carjacking gang received nasty surprise when what appeared to be a female driver was in fact, an armed reserves soldier.

By Maayana Miskin

 

A reserves soldier reported Saturday night that an Arab gang in Samaria (Shomron) had attacked him, apparently in an attempt to steal his weapon. The incident occurred at the Shavei Shomron junction.

An initial investigation has led security forces to believe that the gang mistook the soldier, who has long hair, for a woman. Carjacking gangs in Judea and Samaria often target female drivers, apparently believing them to be an easier target.

After attacking the thieves realized that the “woman driver” was in fact an armed male soldier, a fact that may have been a factor in his escape. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| July 21, 2012
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Israel’s Defense Minister Barak: Israel may have to seize advanced weapons in Syria

Israel’s Defense Minister says IDF prepared for military operation should Syrian government  hand missiles or chemical weapons over to Hezbollah.

By REUTERS

 

Israel is preparing for a possible military intervention in Syria in case the Syrian government hands missiles or chemical weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Friday.

IDF's Givati Brigade excercise - Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office

IDF’s Givati Brigade exercise
Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Office

“I have instructed the military to increase its intelligence preparations and prepare what is needed so that … (if necessary) … we will be able to consider carrying out an operation,” Barak said in an interview on Channel 10 television. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| July 19, 2012
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IDF raises its alert level in the North, limits soldiers’ leaves

Military to exercise additional vigilance due to volatile situation in Syria

By Yoav Zitun

 

The IDF has decided to limit soldiers’ leaves over mounting tensions in Syria, as well as raising the alert level across the Northern Command, Ynet learned Thursday.

The northern border – Photo: AFP

The decision following an IDF situation assessment it was decided to cancel the weekend leaves for some soldiers stationed on the northern border.

An IDF Spokesperson’s Unit statement confirmed that an order was given, stressing it was “thinned out” almost immediately.

The move was also prompted by the growing concerns regarding Damascus chemical weapons’ stockpiles. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| July 13, 2012
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How to dismantle the IDF

Who will tell the Haredim how to serve, who will dare to dictate conditions of service to them? To them it’s the army of the czar, who drafted them into its ranks against their will, by force.

 

Who is opposed to eliminating terror, who is opposed to equal sharing of the burden. We’re all unanimously in favor, nobody is opposed. My friends and I once also made the demand for conscription of the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) a top priority, but that was a long time ago, decades ago, and eventually I changed my mind. Not because I have become wiser since then, but because I opened my eyes. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| July 12, 2012
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IDF’s future tank: The Electromagnetic cannon

Imagine a tank that drives on a hybrid engine, or can shoot a laser or even an electromagnetic pulse.

 

Imagine a tank that can drive on a hybrid engine – partly powered by electricity – instead of the loud diesel engines used today? These technologies and others are under consideration for integration into Israel’s future tank which theIDF hopes will be operational by 2020.

soldier jumps of Merkava tank - Photo: REUTERS

Soldier jumps off Merkava tank – Photo: REUTERS

Last year, the IDF Ground Forces Command set up a team of combat and technical officers – from the Armored Corps, the Weapons Development Branch in the Ground Forces Command and the Defense Ministry’s Merkava Program Office – to begin planning Israel’s future tank, the successor to the Merkava.

Continue Reading »
Category: Innovations & Discoveries | Tags:
| July 9, 2012
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IDF concerned Lebanon planning water diversion

 Israel is deliberating responses to the possibility that Lebanon will divert water from the Hatzbani River.

 

By YAAKOV KATZ

 

The IDF is deliberating responses ahead of the possibility that Lebanon will divert water from the Hatzbani River, a move that Israel has in the past viewed as a casus belli – justification for war.

Kayaking down the Hatzbani River – Photo: Phillip Pasmanick

Israel’s concern stems from the construction of a large tourism center on the Lebanese side of the river, not far from the Israeli town of Metulla.

A senior IDF officer in the Northern Command said that construction of the center needed to be closely tracked due to the possibility it would be used to divert water from the Hatzbani, which supplies 25 percent of the Jordan River’s waters.

Continue Reading »
Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| July 8, 2012
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IDF hopes new technology would end terrorists’ tunneling activity

Soldiers in prestigious IDF program develop system that could allow early detection of tunnels by means of sensors and oil exploration devices • Experimental deployment expected by year’s end • IDF attacks terrorist squad preparing to launch rockets.

By Israel Hayom Staff

 

The Israel Defense Forces plans to install a new underground system along the Gaza border to detect tunneling activity in its early stages, Army Radio reported Monday. According to the report, over the past several months the army has carried out a series of tests near the Kerem Shalom border crossing and declared the new technology, called “Strong Number,” a success.

Continue Reading »
Category: Innovations & Discoveries | Tags: ,
| July 6, 2012
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Senior IDF officer: Israel is preparing for the next Lebanon war

Officer says instability in Syria could ignite violent confrontation with the Lebanese army, says ‘Goldstone report will pale in comparison to what will be here next time.’

By Gili Cohen

Six years after the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, the IDF is saying openly that Israel is preparing for another Lebanon war.

The commander of the IDF’s 91st Division, Brigardier-General Hertzi Halevy told journalists on Thursday, “We understand that there is more than one factor, whether this is Lebanese, or whether it will come from somewhere else, that can ignite the border here.”

The Israel-Lebanon border, July 5, 2012.

The Israel-Lebanon border, July 5, 2012. – Photo by Yaron Kaminsky

The 91st Division, part of the Northern Command, and responsible for the front with Lebanon, sees developments in Syria as one of the factors that could upset the calm that has prevailed in the region since the war. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| July 2, 2012
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Report: Israel detonated spy device in Lebanon

Local media outlets say warplane fired air-to-ground missile at espionage device that was exposed by Hezbollah

By Roi Kais

 

An air-to-ground missile fired by an Israeli plane on Monday detonated a surveillance device that was planted between the southern Lebanese towns of Zrariyeh and Tayr Filsay, the National News Agency reported.

Archives Photo: Dan Bronfled, IDF's Spokesperson Unit

Archives Photo: Dan Bronfled, IDF's Spokesperson Unit

According to the report, the device was planted on a Hizbullah telecommunications cable. The device was destroyed by Israel because the terror group had exposed it, the National News Agency reported.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli warplanes have been flying at a low altitude over the country’s southern sector since the afternoon hours, while Hizbullah has cordoned off the area. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| July 2, 2012
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New IDF military college to move to east Jerusalem

Interior Ministry approves National Defense College plan to build structure on Mount of Olives; Peace Now slams move as “crazy.”

By MELANIE LIDMAN

 

The Interior Ministry on Monday gave its initial approval for a new military college in east Jerusalem, which will be located on the Mount of Olives. The 42,000 square meter structure of the new National Defense College is planned for an open area between the Mount of Olives and Hebrew University’s Mount Scopus campus.

IDF soldiers view J'lem from Mt. of Olives - Photo: Darren Whiteside / Reuters

IDF soldiers view J'lem from Mt. of Olives - Photo: Darren Whiteside/Reuters

Left-wing groups slammed the approval. “This is a crazy plan to build a military college in one of the most sensitive areas in dispute,” said Hagit Ofran of Peace Now, who oversees the Settlement Watch Division. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| July 2, 2012
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IDF doesn’t want a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) brigade

Members of army’s Manpower Directorate oppose creation of separate combat brigade for ultra-Orthodox soldiers. ‘This goes against the people’s army principle,’ they say

By Yossi Yehoshua

 

In the backdrop of the uproar surrounding the Plesner Committee‘s discussions, the IDFis currently engaged in a lively debate of its own over whether to place religious soldiers in the various combat units or create a separate haredi brigade, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.

Nahal Haredi soldiers Photo: Pablo Bichman

Nahal Haredi soldiers - Photo: Pablo Bichman

“There are bigger challenges than the ‘people’s army’ right now, and nothing will happen if they are assigned to large haredi frameworks,” said an IDF official who supports the establishment of a haredi brigade. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| July 2, 2012
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Israel fears Hezbollah will blockade sea in future war

Navy assessments are that Hezbollah will try to target cargo ships within 30-kilometer radius of Israel to try to get commercial vessels to refuse to sail there during war; senior navy officer: Operational capability exists.

 

Israel is concerned that in a future war with Hezbollah, the Lebanese guerilla group will try to impose a sea blockade on Israel by attacking civilian cargo ships.

Container ship (illustrative) - Photo: Thinkstock/Imagebank

Container ship (illustrative) - Photo: Thinkstock/Imagebank

Israel’s sea lines of communication (SLOC) span the length of the Mediterranean and around the Magreb region of North Africa with some 99 percent of all goods arriving in the country by sea, including ammunition and military hardware. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| July 1, 2012
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Armored brigade equipped with advanced defense system

Iron Trails Brigade was recently outfitted with the Trophy active defense system, which defends tanks against incoming missiles

By  Florit Shoihet

 

credit: IDF blog

The entire Iron Trails Brigade, a tank brigade within the IDF’s Armored Corps, was recently equipped with the Trophy active defense system. The new defense system identifies and eliminates anti-tank missiles before they can reach the tanks on which it is installed.

In the past month, the Iron Trails Brigade, which boasts a number of advanced Merkava Mark IV tanks, completed a significant exercise in conjunction with engineering forces. This drill involved cooperating with other units and focused on the advanced platforms used by the unit. Continue Reading »

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