Amnesty Presents the "Hamas Report" as Theirs!!

Amnesty's report on this summer's conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group accuses Israel of wrongdoing while producing no evidence. It is a report which could easily be interpreted as a plagiarized Hamas report

The report ignores documented war crimes perpetrated by Hamas, including the use of human shields, as well as ammunition storage and firing at Israeli civilian population centers from within schools, hospitals, mosques and civilian neighborhoods in Gaza.

The report does not mention the word terror in relation to Hamas or other armed Palestinian groups, nor mentions tunnels built by Hamas to infiltrate Israel and perpetrate terror attacks. By ignoring the nature of the enemy Israel faced in Gaza - a terror group recognized as such by the European Union, the United States and others - Amnesty's report fails to contribute to the important discussion needed to solve the conflict. Instead, Amnesty serves as a propaganda tool for Hamas and other terror groups.

In Israel, investigations are currently underway by several bodies, inside and outside the Israel Defense Forces, into over 90 incidents. Two criminal investigations are underway. These measures are dismissed by Amnesty as insufficient yet in comparison to Israel's rigorous procedures Amnesty's own methodology raises questions: The report was not written by Amnesty staff but by local contractors not mentioned by name and referred to only as "field workers". Their own credibility in producing the testimonies detailed in the report is never questioned; independent verification of their claims apparently not deemed necessary.

The extreme bias of the report is best displayed in its recommendations: Hamas is not mentioned, as if the group has no responsibility for the bloodshed; meanwhile, the report dismisses Israel's security challenges. Amnesty should understand that producing a narrow, decontextualized report restricts its capability to advance positive change. 

IDF’s Dogs in Gaza - Man's Best Friend

September 9, 2014 

http://tinyurl.com/q2c9l3h 

During Operation Protective Edge, the dogs of the IDF’s Oketz unit battled terrorists in Gaza.

Many of them were wounded in combat, but that didn’t stop them from continuing the fight.  

Only ten days after suffering a severe injury in Gaza, Whiskey – a dog in the IDF’s Oketz unit – returned to the battlefield. He wasn’t alone. During Operation Protective Edge, several of the IDF’s canines were wounded in clashes with Hamas terrorists. Like Whiskey, many of them continued fighting despite their wounds.

Oketz (Hebrew: ‘Sting’) is the IDF’s elite canine unit and the best of its kind in the world. The unit’s soldiers undergo intense training to lead infantry forces and special units into battle. They prepare year round to join IDF troops in all sorts of situations, from basic missions to the most complex operations.

“Our dogs are filled with motivation, and they rarely reveal that something is wrong with them,” explained Major A, one of the unit’s senior veterinarians. On the first day of the operation’s ground phase, a bullet entered Whiskey’s leg near a major artery. Despite his injury, he continued to carry out his mission alongside IDF soldiers.

More than two hours after Whiskey’s injury, his handler noticed that he was limping and needed urgent medical attention. IDF soldiers immediately evacuated him to a hospital in Israel, where veterinarians performed surgery and saved his life. Only ten days later, Whiskey returned to the battlefield. “He was determined to keep going,” Major A explained. “His wound was very dangerous, and he survived it almost by a miracle.”

A bond between warriors

Kimba, another of the unit’s canines, and her handler were wounded after terrorists fired a mortar in their direction. After suffering shrapnel wounds to the head and chest, Kimba underwent surgery in an Israeli veterinary hospital. Throughout her period of recovery, she received regular visits from her IDF handler, who insisted on coming to see her despite his own wounds.

The IDF honors its canines much like its soldiers. When four dogs were killed in Gaza, Oketz held a moving ceremony in their memory. Dozens of handlers came to pay their respects to the fallen canines – a sign of the strong bonds between the unit’s handlers and their dogs.

Oketz fighters do everything possible to save the lives of wounded dogs. “They’re like fighters on four legs, and we take the evacuation of an injured dog very seriously,” Maj. A said. “We decide how to evacuate each dog according to the severity and urgency of each injury, whether by car or helicopter. In Gaza, there were always veterinarians in the field who treated dogs when they were injured.”

“All of our wounded dogs suffered trauma,” explained Major Y, another senior veterinarian in the unit. “They were hit by shrapnel in places that would disable a human being, but all of them kept going. Many of them continued fighting because they insisted on hiding their wounds.”

The Facts of operation "Protective Edge"

Everything you need to know about Operation Protective Edge, from destroyed terror tunnels to rocket attacks on Israel. Just the facts. (Courtesy IDF blog http://tinyurl.com/notj3lj 

The IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge to put an end to the terror attacks emanating from Gaza. In the three weeks leading up to July 8, terrorists fired 250 rockets capable of reaching Israel’s largest population centers and endangering 3.5 million Israeli lives. More than half a million Israelis had less than 60 seconds to find shelter after hearing a rocket siren. Tens of thousands had only 15 seconds.

The Rocket Threat

The IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge in response to incessant, indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli civilians.

Between July 8 and August 6:

• Terrorists in Gaza fired 3,360 rockets at Israel.
• 2,303 rockets hit Israel.
• 115 rockets hit populated areas in Israel.
• 584 rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome.
• 119 rocket launches failed.
• 475 rockets landed within the Gaza Strip.

Before the operation, IDF intelligence assessed that terrorists in Gaza held approximately 10,000 rockets. 1/3 of these rockets were were fired at Israel, and an additional 1/3 were destroyed by IDF forces.

The Tunnel Threat

On July 17, IDF ground troops were moved into Gaza to locate and destroy the underground tunnel network used by Hamas to infiltrate and attack Israel.

Between July 17 and August 5:

• IDF forces neutralized 32 terror tunnels.
• 14 of these tunnels crossed into Israel.
• 2 tunnels had access points located 300m-500m from Israel.

Hamas exploited civilian infrastructure

Hamas abuses the civilians and civilian infrastructure of Gaza for terrorist purposes. These abuses constitute severe violations of international law.

Between July 8 and August 5:

• Terrorists fired 597 rockets from civilian facilities in Gaza.
• Approximately 260 rockets were fired from schools.
• Approximately 160 rockets were fired from religious sites, including mosques.
• Approximately 127 rockets were fired from cemeteries.
• Approximately 50 rockets were fired from hospitals.

IDF struck terror sites throughout Gaza

A primary objective of Operation Protective Edge was to strike a heavy blow to the military capabilities of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza and thus eliminate the threats to Israel’s national security.

Between July 8 and August 5, IDF aerial, naval and ground forces struck 4,762 terror sites across the Gaza Strip, including:

• 1,678 rocket launching facilities.
• 977 command and control centers.
• 237 military administration facilities.
• 191 weapons storage and manufacturing facilities.
• 144 training and military compounds.
• 1,535 additional terror sites.

From July 8 to August 5, the IDF targeted terrorists in Gaza responsible for the planning and execution of attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.

• IDF forces targeted at least 253 Hamas terrorists.
• At least 147 Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists.
• At least 65 terrorists of various smaller organizations.
• At least 603 terrorists of unknown affiliation.

In addition, 159 terrorist suspects have been questioned by Israeli security forces.

IDF transferred supplies into Gaza

Despite Hamas’ incessant attacks, including on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the IDF continued to transfer thousands of supply trucks into Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

From July 8 to August 5:

• The IDF transferred 1,856 trucks carrying 40,550 tons of supplies into Gaza.
• 37,178 tons of foods.
• 1,694 tons humanitarian goods.
• 1,029 tons of medicine and medical supplies.

Operation Protective Edge succeeded in striking a heavy blow to terrorists in Gaza. Hamas’ underground terror network was knocked out, and quiet has been restored to southern Israel. All of Israel is now safer.

“Information Revealed”

Cross posting from Arlene Kushner www.arlenefromisrael.info
June 27th

Late yesterday, Israeli security released the names of the two men who are believed to be the abductors of the three kidnapped boys.

Amer Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasme, residents of Hevron, have been missing since the kidnapping.  They always prayed in the same mosque and informants in that neighborhood reported on their absence (which, at the time, I noted).  Their wives were extensively interrogated and their homes have been thoroughly searched several times.

The two are members of Hamas.  As is often the case, Hamas involvement has been a family affair for them: Marwan Kawasme’s uncle, Abdullah Kawasme was the commander of Hamas’s military wing in Hebron until he was killed in a battle with SWAT officers in 2003; while Amer Abu Aysha’s brother, Zayd, a Hamas member, was killed in a battle with Israeli soldiers in 2005, and his father, Omer, served time in Israeli prison because of Hamas involvement.

Abu Aysha’s mother said that if her son is involved in the kidnapping, she is proud of him. 

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-names-suspects-in-kidnapping-of-three-teens/

It is believed that they were in the car when the boys were abducted and are now in hiding.  This does not necessarily mean they are any longer with the boys, who may have been turned over to other Hamas operatives.

There is no explanation as to why this information, which the security forces have had since the beginning, is being released now.  But what this does is make clear that there indeed is direct Hamas involvement, just as Netanyahu has insisted.

~~~~~~~~~~

The other news about the search for the boys came Wednesday night, not long after I had posted.  It represented a reversal of an announcement from the day prior:  There was going to be no slow down in the operation after all, decided the Security Cabinet - not with regard to going after Hamas or taking care not to offend during Ramadan, or anything else.  Full speed ahead.  A welcome announcement.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182170#.U6056JtZrIU

What precipitated this reversal is not clear, although it is speculated that a presentation the three mothers gave in the Knesset – where they were received with enormous empathy – may have had something to do with it.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182161#.U606NJtZrIU

Bat-Galim Sha'ar, mother of Gilad, in an emotional speech, implored the government not to curtail efforts. The message delivered was that the mothers had full confidence in the measures being taken to find their sons, as long as they were done without slowdown.

Credit: ArutzSheva

The original announcement about the slowdown had said the operation against the Hamas organization in Judea and Samaria would be curtailed – as it was just about exhausted, while the search for the boys would continue unabated.  But truth to tell, it’s difficult to draw a meaningful line between the two.  Any Hamas operative picked up, for whatever reason, might end up providing meaningful information.

And, indeed, after the slow down was reversed, overnight on Wednesday there was a sweep in the Hevron area and 10 were arrested.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-arrests-10-palestinians-in-west-bank/

~~~~~~~~~~

A decision was made Wednesday night, as well, to block the Palestinian Authority monthly transfer of funds to terrorists incarcerated in Israeli prisons.  The longer the term of incarceration, the greater the larger the monthly “stipend.”

It was with reason, then, that Naftali Bennett, head of Habayit Hayehudi, on Thursday, applauding this decision, called Abbas a “mega-terrorist” for his financial support of imprisoned terrorists.

“In May, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman addressed the subject of Palestinian prisoners being paid stipends by the PA, noting that some 5,000 security prisoners are paid more than NIS 7,500 a month each.
“’Abbas, who whines about the PA’s finances, pays large stipends to prisoners convicted of murder and those who tried to become suicide bombers,’ Lieberman told the MKs. ‘The prisoners are given three times as much as Palestinian policemen.’” (Emphasis added)
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Bennett-PA-President-Abbas-is-a-mega-terrorist-360617
~~~~~~~~~~
It is now time to turn to my Shabbat preparations, once more with a prayer in my heart that when I return to write again, the boys will have been found.

Shabbat Shalom to one and all.

Where are the reporters?

Rocket attacks against Israel

Sunday June 22 - Two rockets fired at Israel. Both hit Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. Terrorist carrying a hand grenade  arrested Sunday morning near Eshkol Regional Council.

Saturday June 21 - Terrorists fired three rockets at Israel.

Friday June 20 - Four rockets fired at Israel. In response: The IDF targeted three concealed rocket launchers and a weapons storage facility in Gaza.

Thursday June 19 - Two rockets fired at Israel – one intercepted by Iron Dome. In response: The IDF targeted a rocket-launching site and two terror activity sites in Gaza.

Wednesday June 18 - Five rockets fired at Israel

Tuesday June 17 - Responding to rocket fire, IDF targeted terrorist activity site, a weapons factory and two weapon storage facilities in Gaza.

Monday June 16 - One rocket fired at Israel. In response: The IDF targeted two terrorist activity sites, 3 weapon storage facilities, and a weapons-manufacturing site in Gaza.

Sunday June 15 - Multiple rockets fired at Israel – 2 intercepted by Iron Dome

Israel Bashing on its Independence Day

The sirens will wail today and the nation will come to a halt. It’s a collective tribute to those heroes who have fallen so that we Israelis may live in freedom. 

Yet as Michael Dickson writes , http://tinyurl.com/pmvz5aj   “This year, as Israelis pay tribute to their servicemen and women, a very different event will be taking place on Independence Day in London. Yachad – the British version of lobby group J-Street – together with the New Israel Fund, will be hosting “Breaking the Silence”, a notorious anti-IDF group. No one serious would suggest that Israel is beyond criticism but this is strange yet deliberate timing.

If past experience is anything to go by, the audience will be treated to a flurry of half-truths and accusations (never proven) aimed solely at blackening the name of Israeli soldiers. Indeed, “Breaking the Silence” has made its name by promoting a distorted and unfair portrayal of the IDF via its website and tours.

Breaking the Silence is hypocritical about its aims and even its name. If it wanted to present a true picture of the IDF, it would not blatantly omit

a)    the context of terrorism, the goals of Israel’s enemies, the deadly rockets fired from Gaza.

b)    how the enemy hides behind Palestinian civilians and attacks Israeli civilians.

It would raise awareness about the moral dilemmas the IDF faces. But instead, it omits this vital context in its reports, which often consist of anonymous, unverified testimony. Instead, their representatives embark on worldwide campus tours, meet with political leaders and speak at the UN in order to lobby and punish Israel.”

Conversely, tucked away in the inner pages of the Jerusalem Post this morning was a report of a Palestinian who was illegally attempting to scale the barrier in order to get into Israel to seek work  and fell several metres breaking his leg. He was bleeding profusely when Israeli border policeman St Sgt Maj Hassan Amid (an Israeli? Yes an Israeli!)  rendered first aid to save his life before the Red Crescent ambulance arrived to take him to hospital.

“In cases like this” said Amid “we don’t think twice, we provide the best possible first aid assistance we can”.  This is the true face of Israel.

Why do we need checkpoints?

From a report via the Emek Mediical Center

This morning, 19 year old newly enlisted IDF soldier Eden Atias boarded a bus heading to Afula from neighboring Nazareth.  Sitting next to him was 16 year old Hussein Jawadra, a Palestinian who had illegally entered Israel from nearby Jenin.  In the next moments, by the time the bus had entered Afula’s central bus station, the young Israeli lay mortally wounded after being stabbed in the neck in an unprovoked vicious attack by the Palestinian teenager. 

Eden died in Emek Medical Center before we could save his young life.  The young terrorist is currently being treated in another Israeli hospital after being injured during his apprehension. 

Another horrific example of life and death in the Valley of Armageddon, where Israel – committed to the sanctity of life - offers medical aid even to an enemy.  Even to a politically motivated deranged murderer. 

We stand proud as Israelis, while we share bitter tears with the Atias family and our people. 

And  many are still asking why we need the checkpoints!!      

Christian Community Set to Join the IDF

A joint Government-community forum is to be established to promote the enlistment of Christian community youth in the IDF and national service and their integration into the life of the state.

                            

A meeting was held today with Father Gabriel Nadaf, a Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth and spiritual leader of a forum for the enlistment of Christian youth in the IDF, Naji Abid, leader of the Orthodox council in Yafia and Lt. (ret.) Shadi Khaloul, head of the forum.

A government instruction requires that a joint Government-community forum be established within two weeks to promote the enlistment of Christian community youth in the IDF and national service and their integration into the life of the state. The forum will work to integrate members of the Christian community in the law on equality in sharing the burden and deal with the necessary administrative and legal aspects, protect those who support enlistment and enlistees from violence and threats, and step up law enforcement against those who disturb the peace and incite to violence.

There has been a significant increase in the number of Christian enlistees in the IDF, from 35 a year ago to approximately 100 this year; an additional 500 young people from the community are doing national service.
The Prime Minister said, "Members of the Christian community must be allowed to enlist in the IDF. You are loyal citizens who want to defend the state and I salute you and support you. We will not tolerate threats against you and we will act to enforce the law with a heavy hand against those who persecute you. I will not tolerate attempts to crumble the state from within. The State of Israel and the Prime Minister stand alongside you."


Father Nadaf said, "Our goal is to guard the Holy Land and the State of Israel. We have broken the barrier of fear – the state deserves that we do our part in defending it. Those who oppose the integration of the Christian community in the institutions of state do not walk in the path of Christianity."

A Bedouin Soldier Who Enlisted in the IDF Against Father’s Wishes

"My father kicked me out when he discovered I enlisted," said Ibrahim. But this Bedouin soldier’s dedication to the IDF eventually changed his father’s mind.

When Ibrahim graduated high school with honors, his father urged him to forgo on the army draft and direct his potential towards academic studies. When he enlisted regardless, his father banished him from the house. Now, upon completion of his officer’s course, Ibrahim describes the pride he holds for his country, the obligation he felt to enlist in the IDF, and the friends he met on his way to completing his dream of serving in the IDF.

In Ibrahim's home village of Bu'eine Nujeidat in northern Israel, military enlistment is routine. Most of the youth are recruited for full army service at age 18, with IDF officers often coming to speak with high school students in the village about contributing to the army in a significant way. Military uniforms hanging to dry on clothes lines outside apartment patios is not an unusual sight for the village’s residents. Israeli law, however, does not require them to enlist.

Ibrahim was impacted by the presence of IDF soldiers coming to his school every year, and their discussions about the purpose of the army and the importance of enlisting.

So, he decided to join. “When I graduated from high school in 2006, I was all set to join the army,” Ibrahim said, indicating that his recruitment date was set for the summer of 2006 -  the same summer during which northern Israel was under heavy rocket attack. Those attacks eventually lead to the Second Lebanon War.

His father, however, constantly delayed his enlistment. "My father did not want me to join the army," Ibrahim said. "I had excellent grades. He wanted me to go learn and find a profession. He said having an education was preferable to being in the military. He had no idea what people do in the army, thinking the army is only about war and that’s all.”

Ibrahim, who grew up in an environment where respect for your father is a supreme value, gave up on his impending draft into an IDF combat unit and instead joined his father, working with him for two years as an usher in his family’s business. "My father is a bit of a hardhead,” Ibrahim explained. "No one could convince him. I talked with my uncle to convince him. He also didn’t succeed. I was only 18 at the time and, as my father said, I had to do what he says.”

“Don’t return home”

Although Ibrahim had no choice but to continue living a life without a military uniform, he never let go of the idea of ​​recruitment. "I began to study civil engineering at the Technion university in Haifa. After two years, some of my friends who enlisted in the army were released, and that is when it hit me,” he recalled. "I started to think again about enlisting. I decided that I’m not waiting anymore and I immediately went to the recruiting office. I completed the necessary tests and medical exams, and I enlisted without anyone knowing," he said.

Ibrahim finally enlisted into the IDF on March 27th, 2011. He was drafted into the Bedouin Desert Reconnaissance Battalion. While he enlisted secretly, Israel is too small a country, and secrets are easily revealed. Shortly after his draft, news of Ibrahim's enlistment reached his family.

Ibrahim painfully recalls his father’s reaction: "My dad called me and said, 'Do not come home. I do not want you at home.’” The following weeks, he divided his time between the base and in the field, with weekends spent at his aunt’s house.

After about six weeks, Ibrahim was surprised to receive a phone call from his father. "I was on vacation for a few days, and I got a phone call from my father saying, 'Come home and let’s talk.’ I could not believe it. I called my mother and asked her what was the matter. She also told me, ‘come home, he wants to talk to you.’”

Following weeks of no contact with his family, Ibrahim returned to the place where he grew up and sat down with his father. Ibrahim discussed the long and difficult conversation he had with his father: "He asked, 'Why did you do that to me? What was missing in your life? Why did you leave school six months before graduating?'" Ibrahim recalled. “I told him I was an adult and that I stand by my decision. I am an independent person and I want to determine my own future. Eventually, he accepted it."

After talking with his father and reconciling with his family, Ibrahim  returned to base with renewed determination. "After three months I joined the commander’s course. He [my father] was happy about that,” Ibrahim said with pride. “He came to my ceremony.”

Eight months later, Ibrahim successfully completed his officer’s course. Ibrahim's family attended the graduation ceremony, which was held last month.

An integral part of the country

As for his future plans, Ibrahim insists that, for now, his life is in the army. "I’d like to stay until I become company commander. I want to contribute to this country. I am a part of this country. Everyone serves in the IDF, and there is no reason that I would not do the same.”

The Soldier's Fantasy Comes True!!

What could motivate a soldier more than anything? Having a beautiful girl telling him what to do?

Esther Petrack was on the way to being the next big thing, after competing in the reality show “America’s Next Top Model” and making seventh place, when she decided a change of pace was in order.For her, the next big thing was entirely different; she wanted to become an IDF combat soldier.

Esther was born in Jerusalem to a religious family and at sixteen, moved with her family to the United States. She made history when she became the first religious Jewish girl to compete in the “America’s Next Top Model”. She was on the fast lane to becoming a supermodel when things changed last year, during a visit to Israel for the first time in four years. Following her trip Esther decided to make Aliyah and join the army.

Upon enlisting, Esther was asked where she would like to serve. Though offered the chance to serve in administrative positions and office environments, she insisted upon the combat position of tank instructor.

“I wanted to do something I could never do in my post-army life. Tank instructor is unlike any civilian job—it’s physical, but also intellectually and mentally challenging.”

 “Well, one thing is for sure—my nails will never go back to what they used to be.”

IDF’s Druze Battalion Readies for Fighting Hezbollah

Published on: July 4, 2013

The battalion developed techniques for fighting Hezbollah, based on years of experience operating in Israel’s northern border region; the new methods were tested in a battalion-wide exercise last week.
The IDF’s Herev Battalion, made up of members of Israel’s Druze community, has gained many years of experience performing unique missions near the Israel-Lebanon border. In the 2006 Second Lebanon War, for instance, Herev was the first force to cross the border and the last to return – exhausted from completing a range of complex missions that earned the unit a citation.
The Herev Battalion, referred to as the IDF’s “spearhead on the Lebanon border”, used its wealth of operational experience in the region to develop new combat techniques for fighting against Hezbollah. These new techniques were tested last week for the first time in an intensive battalion-wide exercise.

“Combat in Lebanon demands the use of heavy armor and the slow advancement of troops,” explained the commander of the Herev Battalion. He went on to explain that fighting Hezbollah requires a specific method of combat, which includes the intensive use of firepower.

“In order to fight against the enemy in Lebanon in the most correct manner, we took the techniques that exist today in the IDF for fighting in open areas, and we made the necessary adjustments. With the help of the battalion’s experience, and combined with an understanding of what to expect next time, we managed to develop a better and more efficient method,” he said.

As part of the conclusions drawn from the exercise, a special document was drafted to present the techniques, which will be sent to officers throughout the IDF in order to assist in building a new combat doctrine for fighting against terror organizations.

“The Herev Battalion must teach the entire IDF how to fight effectively against Hezbollah,” said the, commander of the regional brigade to which the Herev Battalion is subordinate.

“There are additional adjustments to be made, but the technique proved itself during the exercise. We can already see how the fighters are now speaking a new language and that there is confidence in the methods that we tested,” .

Hezbollah growing bolder in its provocations

The new combat techniques were put to the test in the Herev Battalion’s most recent exercise, which took place last week and consisted of three days of non-stop fighting in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights. The exercise simulated the battalion’s role during combat while functioning as part of a full brigade, in order to train the commanders to cooperate with other forces.

The troops were accompanied by a tank platoon on their journey through the hilly terrain, while combat engineering teams cleared paths through the thick scrub and artillery forces provided suppressive fire that shook the northern Golan Heights. The goal of the method: provide so much fire that “the enemy cannot lift its head.”

The exercise simulated as closely as possible full-fledged combat in Lebanon, requiring the troops to deal with enemy rocket fire falling on their staging areas, sudden changes in mission plans and evacuating casualties in armored personnel carriers (APCs).

“It was a drill against Hezbollah in every respect and following [the exercise], I can say with certainty that the Herev Battalion is ready for anything,” said the commander

A senior officer in the sector explained last week that Hezbollah’s actions in southern Lebanon are becoming more and more aggressive. Israeli forces stationed on the border observe well how Hezbollah agents work around the clock in the villages of southern Lebanon to gather intelligence on the IDF.
The Herev Battalion, whose soldiers’ families live in northern Israel and are likely to be the first to suffer from a Hezbollah attack, continues to prepare for the “day after” on the sensitive Lebanese border.

“Changes in the region obligate us to be ready for war,” the regional brigade commander said at the end of the exercise. “For every eventuality that we will be needed, with the Herev Battalion I feel more confident than any other battalion.”

IAF intercepts UAV in Israeli airspace near Haifa

Date: 25/04/2013, 2:59 PM Author: IDF Website

An unmanned aerial vehicle was succesfully brought down by an Israel Air Force fighter jet off the coast of the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attempted to violate Israeli airspace from the north at approximately 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 22. The UAV was tracked by IDF ground and aerial surveillance for the duration of its flight path as it attempted to approach Israel's coast. Israel Air Force aircraft intercepted the UAV and successfully downed the target five nautical miles off the coast of the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

IDF naval forces are currently searching the area.

This is the second time in the past seven months that a UAV has been intercepted in Israeli airspace.


UAVs pose a serious threat to the State of Israel's security. The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to violate Israel's sovereignty or harm its security.


In October 2012 the IDF downed a UAV over the northern Negev. The UAV had infiltrated Israeli airspace from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea. The craft was identified by IDF control systems and was tracked for the length of its flight path in Israeli territory by ground and aerial surveillance, including IAF fighter jets. After several minutes, the craft was successfully brought down in the northern Negev desert, to avoid potential harm to a populated area.


During the Second Lebanon War in August 2006, Israel Air Force fighter jets intercepted two Ababil UAVs launched by Hezbollah toward Haifa. The UAVs were located and identified by the IAF's northern air-defense and aerial control units before it managed to cross the border from Lebanon into Israel. The UAVs were downed by F-16C fighter jets – one fell in the Mediterranean Sea in Lebanese territory while the other was taken down north of Haifa.

I'm Muslim and Israeli

My name is Abdol and I’m a Muslim, Zionist Arab.

Israel is my home. Israel is where my friends – Arabs & Jews – live. Israel is where I have rights and Israel is where my family lives.   I joined the IDF to give back to a country that keeps giving to me. I had a tough time in the army because in my village it was difficult for others to understand why I joined the IDF and on the other hand my unit in the IDF didn’t know how to accept an Arab. But I love my country and I overcome any difficulties. I also learned to understand the Jewish nation.   I went to Poland as a student in high school and learned about the Holocaust. One of my main projects was a movie I made about the Holocaust. Its purpose was to ensure this never happens again anywhere in the world. We must not go the way of terror. We must find a way to peace and pluralism. I’m proud to be Arab & Israeli.  

"What I Saw In Gaza"

There are so many misconceptions about the real life in Israel. The influence of the media, the emotional outcries from the liberal lefties, the acceptance of statements that are not based on fact, the deligitimisation of Israel, etc.

It is therefore not surprising that when one who is exposed to this day by day comes to Israel to see for themselves the reality of life, they are amazed to find a different picture.

The story below is from one such lady in Arizona who not only came to Israel but actually joined the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). Her experience written below makes for interesting reading.

What I Saw During Operation Pillar of Defense

By Nira Lee

Four years ago, watching the coverage of Operation Cast Lead from the comfort of my dorm, I was a conflicted college student. As supportive as I was of Israel, I still found it painful any time I heard about civilian casualties in Gaza. What I saw portrayed in the media didn't add up: on the one hand I knew that the IDF was engaged in careful efforts to prevent civilian casualties, despite Hamas's strategy of fighting from amongst its own civilian population. Yet the media made it seem like the IDF was actively targeting civilians.

Back then, I understood Israel's efforts at protecting civilians as a something akin to a talking point -- I had no personal involvement in the conflict. Yet I had no idea how true it is until I myself participated in last week's Operation "Pillar of Defense" as an officer in the IDF.

When I moved to Israel and enlisted, I joined a unit called the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is devoted to civilian and humanitarian issues. 

As an International Liaison Officer in the Gaza office, my job primarily entails coordinating transfers of goods, aid, and delegations into Gaza. I work closely with representatives of the international community, and although our perspectives may differ, we maintain relationships of mutual respect born of a common goal; I am here to help them succeed in their work improving the quality of life in Gaza.

While the day-to-day work is challenging in Gaza, I learned over the past ten days that the true test comes with crisis. At exactly the point where most militaries would use the heat of war to throw out the rulebook, we worked harder than ever to provide assistance wherever and whenever possible. 

The eight days of Operation "Pillar of Defense" have been some of the hardest I have ever known physically and emotionally. The college student from Arizona would never have thought it possible to work 20 hours a day, fueled only by adrenaline and longing for just an hour of sleep on a shelter floor -- wearing the same filthy uniform because changing, much less showering, wouldn't allow me to get to a shelter in time when the next rocket barrage hit. And no, wearing the green uniform does not mean that you aren't afraid when the sirens sound.

Had you told me four years ago that there were IDF officers who stayed up all night under a hail of rockets, brainstorming ways to import medical supplies and food to the people of Gaza, I am not sure I would have believed you. But I can tell you it is true because I did it every night. 

What amazed me the most was the singular sense of purpose that drove everyone from the base commander to the lowest ranking soldier. We were all focused completely on our mission: to help our forces accomplish their goals without causing unnecessary harm to civilian lives or infrastructure. 

It is harder to explain the emotional roller-coaster -- how proud and relieved I felt every time a truck I coordinated entered Gaza, and how enraging it was when we had to shut down the crossing into Gaza after Hamas repeatedly targeted it. Or how invigorating it was help evacuate two injured Palestinians from the border area, only to be informed minutes later that a terrorist had detonated a bomb on a bus near my apartment in Tel Aviv.

So after all that I see and do, nothing frustrates me more than the numbers game that is played in the media. The world talks about "disproportionate" numbers of casualties as the measure of what is right and wrong -- as if not enough Israelis were killed by Hamas for the IDF to have the right to protect its own civilians from endless rocket attacks.
In my position, I see the surgical airstrikes, and spend many hours with the UN, ICRC, and NGO officers reviewing maps to help identify, and avoid, striking civilian sites. One of our pilots who saw a rocket aimed at Israel aborted his mission when he saw children nearby -- putting his own civilians at risk to save Gazans.

At the end of the day, what these "disproportionate numbers" show is how we in Israel protect our children with elaborate shelters and missile defense systems, whereas the terror groups in Gaza hide behind theirs, using them as human shields in order to win a cynical media war.

What's really behind the headlines and that picture on the front page? Every day, I coordinate goods with a young Gazan woman who works for an international aid organization. Last month we forged a bond when we had to run for cover together when Hamas targeted Kerem Shalom Crossing -- attacking the very aid provided to its own people. 

During the eight days of Operation "Pillar of Defense", not one passed without a phone call, just to check in. "Are you ok?" I would ask. "I heard they fired at your base. Please stay safe", she would reply. And every night I made her promise to call me if she needed anything. These are the things that the media fails to show the world, just as they underplay how Hamas deliberately endangers civilians on both sides of the border -- by firing indiscriminately at Israel from Gaza neighborhoods.

Maybe stories such as these make for less exciting headlines, but if they received more attention there would perhaps be more moral clarity, and thus more peace in the Middle East.

Israeli, Gaza Cancer Patients Become Hanukkah Best Friends

Dec 12, 2012 By Itay Hod

A heartwarming Hanukkah tale of two teens fighting the same rare cancer, whose friendship transcends nationalist stereotypes.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, pediatric oncology patients at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center gathered in the hospital’s auditorium for a big Hanukkah party. They lit the menorah and sang the traditional songs about the tiny Maccabean rebellion that defeated the mighty Greeks in 167 B.C.E.

But while the miracle of Hanukkah was being celebrated downstairs, a modern-day miracle was happening on the second floor. Tal Zilker, a 17-year-old cancer patient from Southern Israel, was chatting with his new best friend, Qsuy Imran (prounounced ‘Hussai’), a 17-year-old boy from Gaza.

Having just gone through a particularly aggressive round of chemo, Imran was too weak to join the festivities, and Zilker decided to forgo the first half of the party to keep him company.

“Chatting” may be stretching it a bit to describe the boys’ interaction. Zilker can say, “Are you in pain?” and, “When’s your next treatment?” in Arabic. Imran can manage “Do you have a fever?” and a few cuss words in Hebrew. But when you’re a teenager, vocabulary is nowhere near as important as being ambidextrous.

“We’re both Playstation fanatics,” said Zilker.

This friendship between two teenagers of the same age—who look alike, have the exact same type of cancer, and share the same love for video games—shouldn’t be all that surprising or newsworthy. But add their respective zip codes into the equation, and it becomes as fantastical a tale as a Tolkein novel.

Zilker is from Ashdod, a city in Southern Israel. Imran is from Khan Yunis, in Gaza. During the seven days of “Operation Pillar of Defense” last month, Hamas fired more than 1,400 rockets into Israel, most of them aimed at the Ashdod-Ashkelon area. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck more than 1,500 sites in the Gaza Strip, a tiny patch of land twice the size of Washington, D.C.

What’s more astounding is that while Hamas was launching those explosives, it continued sending patients to be treated in Israeli hospitals, many of them located in the same areas Hamas was targeting.

Israeli hospitals have been accepting Palestinian patients for years. There are simply not enough medical facilities in Gaza to treat its growing population. Those that are there are ill-equipped. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there are 24 medical centers in Gaza, which serve 1.7 million people. Israel, in contrast, has 377 hospitals and a population of about 8 million. Last year alone, more than 100,000 Palestinians received medical care in Israel. Israeli hospitals continued to treat patients from Gaza even at the height of the fighting in November.

To make things even more complicated, many of the Israeli doctors who treat these patients are also soldiers in the IDF, in which service is mandatory. In fact, Dr. Dror Levin, the oncologist treating Zilker and Imran, spent the entire week of Operation Pillar of Defense patrolling the border with Gaza alongside the rest of his reserve platoon.

Though such contradictions might sound crazy to anyone else, here in the Middle East, it’s par for the course.

“It’s actually quite simple,” said Dr. Levin, now out of uniform. “Qsuy is not a representative of Gaza. All I see when I look at him is a boy who needs my help. That’s where it begins and that’s where it ends for me.”

Despite the bloody battle raging between their governments, Zilker and Imran seemed less concerned with geopolitics than with playing a game of virtual soccer, their favorite pastime.

The two met in May, when Zilker came in for his biopsy. An MRI done just days earlier revealed a tumor in his left knee. Imran was the first person he met at the oncology floor of the hospital.

They hit it off immediately.

Having gone through surgery to remove his osteosarcoma—an aggressive bone cancer—less than a week before, Imran was a “veteran” in hospital protocol. He quickly took Zilker under his wing and gave him the lowdown, carefully explaining what to expect should Zilker’s biopsy come back positive. (Imran’s father, who speaks Hebrew, translated for the boys, who also used a lot of pantomime.)

The fact that Imran had the same cancer that Zilker was suspected of having, in the exact same place, made their meeting—as they say in this corner of the globe—“bashert”: meant to be.

“At the time, we needed every bit of information,” said Anat, Zilker’s mother. “Qsuy was the only person we knew who had the same cancer. He became our lifeline.”

Imran’s father, Jihad, whose name incidentally means “holy war” in Arabic, became their unofficial guide through the difficult maze of doctors and treatments. “This terrible fate brought us together in a way that’s hard to explain,” said Anat.

Jihad says Anat has been a ray of hope for his family as well. Being a resident of Gaza, he and Imran are not allowed to leave the hospital except for a few organized trips. For the last 10 months, Anat has been bringing him and Imran home-cooked meals and clothes. Being so far away from his family and friends, he turned to Anat and her son for comfort.

“One of the only good things to come out of this is the fact that I found a new family,” said Jihad, referring to the Zilkers.

When the rockets began flying over Israel in November, Anat rushed to make sure the Imrans were OK. She was a bit worried at first about how the war would affect their newly formed friendship. “I wanted them to know it didn’t matter to us and that we loved them,” she said. “I knew it wasn’t their doing.

A self-proclaimed liberal, she says she never thought of them as anything but friends. But the experience has opened her eyes in one respect. “I knew Palestinians love their children. But I also knew that they were willing to send them on suicide missions. I guess I was surprised to see that they love their kids the same way we love ours. I look at Jihad’s dedication to Qsuy and it’s the same. No difference.”

Zilker wanted to know if Imran’s relatives were safe. “I asked him if any of the missiles hit his hometown. I felt bad.”

Asked whether he was worried at the time that their friendship might suffer, he said no. “We’re best friends.”

Imran wasn’t worried either. The only argument they’ve ever had is who’s better at PlayStation. They’re still fighting about that.

Jihad, who is a construction worker by trade, says he knew there were “good Israelis” from his days working in Israel before the blockade. But he was touched by the level of care he received during his stay in Tel Aviv. “They treated us like family. I have nothing but love for the doctors and staff and Anat and Tal, of course.”

Zilker summed it up perhaps the best, the way only a 17-year-old can. “I used to think that there were some good Palestinians but most of them were bad. Now I know that it’s the opposite. There are a few bad ones, but most of them are good.”

Both Zilker and Imran are getting ready to return home. In both cases, doctors were able to successfully remove their tumors. Imran says he’s looking forward to school, but the first thing he’ll do is dust off his soccer ball and hit the playground. Zilker is planning a trip to California.

They don’t know when or where they’ll be able to see each other next. But in the meantime, they plan on meeting on the virtual soccer field for their first ever post-cancer game, to settle the score once and for all.