Tag Archive for IDF

| May 20, 2012
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Israel’s southern border fence progressing

Construction on the section of the fence in the Eilat Mountains will cost four times as much as any other part of the project due to the harsh terrain – canyons and cliffs as high as 170 meters, which don’t deter infiltrators

 

As public debate on the issue of refugees and infiltrators from Africa heats up, the Defense Ministry is expediting work on the border fence in the Eilat Mountains.

Since the completion of the western part of the fence, on the Egyptian border, African infiltrators have been forced to detour south to find an ingress – sometimes through dangerous mountain terrain that stretches for 14 kilometers and is marked by canyons and cliffs up to 170 meters high. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 15, 2012
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Rocket and Molotov cocktails mark start to Nakba Day

Army chief: ‘We are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst’

Palestinians hurled molotov cocktails at an IDF post near the city of Hebron overnight and a rocket was shot from Gaza into southern Israel early Tuesday as the country braced for protests and violence as Palestinians mark Nakba Day.

No injuries were reported in Hebron, and there were no reports of injuries or damage after the rocket fell in the Sha’ar Hanegev region.

Nakba, or catastrophe, is the Palestinian term for Israel’s founding in 1948. It is marked on May 14 or May 15 each year.

The IDF has deploying on the borders while police forces are beefing up presence at friction points in anticipation of possible Nakba Day clashes.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| May 13, 2012
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US to announce massive Iron Dome package

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and US counterpart to announce plans for $680 million in aid to fund 3-4 additional batteries.

 

The Obama administration is planning to announce this week a $680 million aid package to Israel for the procurement of additional Iron Dome batteries.

The announcement will be made following a meeting between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the Pentagon on Thursday. The two will hold a joint press conference following the meeting.

Iron Dome battery - Photo: Marc Israel Sellem

Iron Dome battery - Photo: Marc Israel Sellem

Israel currently has four operational Iron Dome batteries and the Air Force plans to deploy an additional 3 over the coming year.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 13, 2012
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Netanyahu ordered evacuation of Hebron home over fears of war crimes suits

AG’s fear of legal action against Israeli officials at The Hague also reason for state’s hesitance regarding authorization of the Ulpana Hill West Bank outpost.

 

Senior officials in the prime minister’s office said at the time that the evacuation was carried out after careful coordination between the defense minister and the prime minister. Nevertheless, Netanyahu’s aides went on the defensive against right-wing criticism and said that the premier had no choice but to approve the evacuation out of security and legal consideration.

 

Hebron evacuation - Olivier Fitoussi - 4.4.2012
Border Police officials evacuating a Hebron house taken over by settlers, April 4, 2012. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi

The aides said that during the late night discussion prior to the evacuation no decisions were made regarding the immediate evacuation of the house. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: , ,
| May 13, 2012
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IDF ‘pit’ project halted over missile fears

Plans for construction of new underground command headquarters, known as ‘the pit,’ have been halted due to concerns it would collapse if hit by missile

Last weekend Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah threatened once again to attack specific targets in Tel Aviv. One of the most sensitive targets is the IDF command headquarters at the Kirya base, especially the underground command center, also known as “the pit.”

Kirya base: The pit Photo: Dana Koppel

Kirya base, The pit - Photo: Dana Koppel

Yet plans for the construction of the new command center, for which tens of millions of shekels have already been invested, have been halted due to concerns it would collapse if hit by a missile, Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Sunday. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 13, 2012
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IDF: Mainstream Media Ignoring Terrorist Attacks

The IDF confirms mainstream media ignore significant terrorist attacks, nine of which were virtually unreported except by Arutz Sheva.

Mainstream media’s habit of ignoring terrorist attacks has been confirmed by the IDF, which details nine attacks, most of which were virtually unreported except by Arutz Sheva.

The cover-up is part of a general policy of local and foreign media to generate a positive image of the Palestinian Authority and a negative picture of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The media agenda encourages international pressure on Israel to meet PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ demand that Israel stop activities in favor of a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria and parts of Jerusalem, particularly outside of large centers of Jewish population. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| May 10, 2012
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For universal draft lawmakers, challenge will be getting buy-in

A large Zionist-majority coalition is in place and Kadima is eager for an achievement to take to the polls. But getting the ultra-Orthodox to sign on may prove an enigma worthy of the Talmud

Ultra-Orthodox leaders say any new bill attempting to impose a mass military or national service draft upon their community will fail, even though such a measure is a centerpiece of the new Knesset unity deal between the Kadima and Likud parties.

A legislative group headed by Kadima will draft the new national service law by the end of July, which will replace the current law, known as the Tal Law, which allows for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students to obtain deferments. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| May 9, 2012
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Terrorists Fire on Jewish Motorist in Samaria

A Jewish motorist passing the Arab village of Sinjil in Samaria was fired upon; she escaped harm; IDF searching for terrorists in force

Terrorists on Tuesday evening opened fire on a Jewish motorist travelling on Route 60.

The incident occurred near the Arab village of Sinjil, which is north of the Jewish community of Ofra.

No one was injured in the incident, but an examination of the vehicle by police revealed damage from bullets.

A large IDF force was called to the scene and is presently sweeping the area in search of the terrorists.

Arutz Sheva reported on Monday the attempted carjacking of a Jewish woman in Samaria as she headed to her father’s home in Elon Moreh. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 9, 2012
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Turkey ready to indict flotilla soldiers

Ankara’s State Prosecution still waiting for Israel to send names of soldiers who took part in Marmara raid. ‘When we receive the info, we’ll issue indictments,’ says justice minister

 

The Turkish Justice Ministry on Tuesday announced that the State Prosecutor’s Office has completed its probe into the IDF raid on the Turkish Marmara ship in May 2010, which resulted in the deaths of nine pro-Palestinian activists.

Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said that his bureau had approached the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a request to receive a list of the names of Israeli soldiers who are supposed to stand trial. “When we receive the information, we will issue indictments to the relevant courts,” Ergin told Turkish news agency Anatolya. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| May 7, 2012
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‘Undercover Israeli combatants threw stones at IDF soldiers in West Bank’

Testimony by commander of the Israeli Prison Service’s elite ‘Masada’ unit sheds light on IDF methods in countering demonstrations against barrier.

Undercover soldiers hurled stones in the “general direction” of IDF soldiers as part of their activity to counter weekly demonstrations in the Palestinian village of Bil’in, the commander of the Israeli Prison Service’s elite “Masada” unit revealed during his recent testimony in the trial of MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash).

MK Mohammed Barakeh confronting IDF soldiers in Bil’in in 2005.

MK Mohammed Barakeh confronting IDF soldiers in Bil’in in 2005. - Photo by Reuters

Barakeh has been charged with assaulting a border guard in Bil’in who was attempting to arrest a demonstrator.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| May 7, 2012
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Soldier Enlists in IDF Twice

Sgt. Efraim Disen, a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade, completed his service and returned to U.S., then decided to do it again.

Sergeant Efraim Disen, an American Jew who became a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade, has done what may seem impossible: he enlisted in the IDF twice.

Efraim Disen (left)

Efraim Disen (left) - IDF Website

The IDF Website reported that “For a long time, Efraim debated with himself about immigrating to Israel. When he finished high school in Chicago, he began to pursue studies in math and science and even completed a year and a half of university.

Disen told Rosa Lisninsky of the IDF Spokesman’s Unit, simply: “I decided that I wanted to enlist, so I enlisted.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 6, 2012
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Yisrael Beiteinu calls to delay Knesset dissolution to allow time to pass new IDF enlistment bill

Lieberman estimates that some 90 MKs will support Yisrael Beiteinu’s purposed law, but coalition chairman Elkin insists on dissolving the Knesset on Monday.

Yisrael Beiteinu has called Sunday for the delay on a vote to dissolve Israel’s Knesset, to allow time to pass the party’s new bill which promotes mandatory enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces for all Israeli citizens.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman - Photo by Olivier Fitoussi

Yisrael Beiteinu MK Robert Ilatov called on coalition chairman MK Zeev Elkin (Likud) to reschedule the vote on dissolving the Knesset from Monday to next week, in order to complete his party’s legislation that would be an alternative to the Tal Law.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 4, 2012
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IDF Censor to Monitor Journalists’ Social Media Accounts

The IDF censor will now monitor journalists’ and bloggers’ social media accounts – and you don’t even have to be Israeli

The IDF military censor will be assuming a more ominous role as it begins monitoring the social media accounts of Israeli journalists and bloggers for potential violation of censorship provisions.

Sima Vaknin-Gil

Sima Vaknin-Gil באדיבות המכללה האקדמית נתניה-

Col. Sima Vaknin-Gil told attendees at the Digit 2012 conference at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, that the new system will monitor visual and textual information on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, on blogs and on traditional news sites.

“The new system will examine information using key words labeled in advance,” she said, stressing it would help her office monitor information that was previously difficult to track. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 4, 2012
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Two Terror Attacks Foiled in Samaria

Two terrorists arrested at the Tapuach junction in Samaria, third terrorist nabbed while trying to infiltrate Elon Moreh.

The IDF foiled two attempted terrorist attacks in Samaria on Thursday night.

In the first incident, Border Police officers arrested two terrorists in their 20s at the Tapuach junction in Samaria. The terrorists were found to be carrying explosives and knives.

IDF soldiers

IDF soldiers - Photo from IDF website

Sappers detonated the explosives, and no one was hurt. The two suspects were transferred to security authorities for further interrogation.

Later on Thursday night, a third terrorist armed with a knife tried to infiltrate the community of Elon Moreh in Samaria. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 3, 2012
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Google Street View exposes secret Israeli base

Images of classified Tel Aviv-area base, clearly visible license plates appear on Google service

 

Classified details about a secret base in the Tel Aviv area have been exposed by Google Street View, the panoramic map service launched in Israel’sthree largest cities in April.

The new service allows users to see soldiers and vehicles inside the base, aggravating concerns that Google Street View could comprise Israel’s national security and provide the Jewish state’s enemies with easy access to useful information.

The service was reportedly launched in coordination with Israel’s security authorities, which asked Google to erase images from Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street, home to the Defense Ministry and IDFheadquarters. Continue Reading »

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