Jewish, Christian and Muslim IDF soldiers at their swearing in ceremony Photo Credit: Channel 2 News
A majority of the IDF soldiers emotionally moved at the end of the 585th Reconnaissance Battalion’s basic training completion ceremony this year were Israeli-Arabs. The battalion that in the past was mostly made up of Bedouin soldiers has received the honor of taking on a surprising new Israeli sector: Christian and Muslim Arabs who decided to enlist into the IDF.
“So far, the most moving thing that has happened to me in the army is when I finished basic training and swore over the Kuran,” Sergeant Youssef Salutta said. “There was someone next to me who swore over the Torah. It is good that I vow over the Koran and I am an Arab Muslim in the army. It moves me that we are not from the same religion, but we all live in the same country.”
“The Second Lebanon War occurred when I was in the 12thgrade,” Captain Ruhi Dabs, an Arab Christian, tells. “Two missiles fell in the city and killed Arabs, as well. That’s when it hit me: Terror does not differentiate between blood, religion or anything else. I told myself that I must take part in the war against terror.”
The percentage of recruits within Arab society, which constitutes a fifth of the Israeli population’s recruits, stands at 1%. However, over the past three years, there has been a significant increase that comes close to ten times more Arab Muslims and Christians who decide to enlist into the IDF.
Combat soldiers within the IDF’s Sword Battalion Photo Credit: IDF Spokesperson Unit/Channel 2 News
For the past 30 years, the battalion was stationed on the Gazan, Egyptian and Lebanese borders with Israel. However, this year for the first time, the IDF decided that the 585th Reconnaissance Battalion will also serve in the West Bank. “We understand the mentality, we know how to work and we understand the language,” explained Captain Dabs.
While the soldiers have positive experiences serving in the IDF, they also receive much criticism while on duty, as some Palestinians call them “traitors.” Yet they are not called “traitors” only in the West Bank. Sometimes when the Arab IDF soldiers return home for the weekend dressed in uniform, their neighbors in the village will shout vulgar words at them. “Someone in the village once called me a traitor, spit on me and threatened that if he saw me in uniform again, he would break my legs,” said one female Israeli-Arab soldier.
New proposals call for integrating women into tank units Photo Credit: Reuters/Channel 2 News
Young 18-year-olds from military preparatory programs before their draft, wrote a letter of petition to the Commander in Chief of the Israel Defense Forces, Gadi Eizenkot calling on him to cancel the new directives to integrate female soldiers into the Armored Corps and other combat units. The letter was revealed yesterday and is due to be delivered to the Commander in Chief in the coming days.
The organizers of the petition claim that hundreds have already signed the petition over the last few days. "We the students who await our draft for military service are obligated to maintain the Jewish values and beliefs upon which we were raised," wrote the young soldiers-to-be.
"The new directives for new mixed units will make it very difficult for anyone who wants to have a meaningful service in the IDF while maintaining a religious lifestyle," they added.
The letter concluded with, "We call on you, as Commander in Chief, to cancel this new directive for mixed units and to strengthen the Military Rabbinate's standing; to save the IDF from foreign values that weaken the spirit of victory and in this way allow many of us to have a meaningful service."
In light of this petition, the IDF says they will respond once it arrives. "The directive for co-ed units is designed to maintain the IDF as a national army," the IDF stated. "It was done to elicit equality, respect and tolerance for each soldier, male or female, and with the spirit of the IDF. The petition has yet to be received but we will respond once it does."
Ainakin minä feilaan ymmärtämästä mikä katastrofi se on, sinä varman osaat selittää muslimien hätä? Miten asia toimii täällä länsimaissa missä kukaan ei karju tornista, miksi se ei ole länsimaissa asuville muslimeille katastrofi?
Female former combat soldiers Photo Credit: Channel 2 News
The public debate regarding the integration of women into additional IDF combat units continues. This morning (Tuesday), JOL reported that male students from various military preparatory programs wrote a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, calling on him to cancel the new directives to integrate female soldiers into the Armored Corps and other combat units. In light of this development, Channel 2 Online interviewed several female combat reservists in regards to the topic.
“I worked hard just like all the male combat soldiers in my unit,” said Captain (res.) Shiraz Danino, who served as a combat soldier in the IDF Artillery Corps. “I was the subordinate and commander of male soldiers and female soldiers. We were weeks together in the field and we were together in training. We protected the borders while experiencing absolute equality.”
Danino also spoke about the rest of the women who served with her: “I was lucky to be surrounded by wonderful women, powerful women, women who were motivated by a full sense of service with all the yearning to be a combat soldier and contribute to the country.”
“I served side by side with men, shooting next to one another,” recalled Sherry Yehudit, a former combat soldier in the Caracal Battalion, the IDF’s first co-ed unit. “I really believe in this, that women can enlist into the Armored Corps.”
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ISRAEL
Kymmenettuhannet ihmiset ovat joutuneet jättämään kotinsa Israelissa.
Israel on pyytänyt yhdysvaltalaista Boeing 747-400 Supertanker -lentokonetta auttamaan maata riivanneiden maastopalojen taltuttamisessa.
Amerikkalaista Boeing 747-400 Supertanker -lentokonetta pidetään maailman edistyksellisimpänä palosammutukseen erikoistuneena ilma-aluksena.
Yksi sen pääasiallisista tehtävistä on sammuttaa suuria maastopaloja, joita ei muilla keinoilla saada kuriin.
Maastopalot riehuvat Israelissa jo viidettä päivää. Kymmenettuhannet ihmiset ovat joutuneet pakenemaan kodeistaan palojen vuoksi.
Palojen leviämistä on edesauttanut normaalia kuivempi sää sekä voimakkaat itäiset tuulet.
Osan paloista epäillään olleen tahallaan sytytettyjä. Israelin turvallisuusjoukot on pidättänyt yli kymmenen palestiinalaista epäiltynä tuhopoltoista.
Ensimmäisenä Supertanker keskittyi sammuttamaan Jerusalemin ja Tel Avivin välissä käryävää aluetta.
Matalalla lentävä maailman suurin sammutuslentokone on vaikuttava näky. (KUVA: JIM HOLLANDER)
Golan Heights: ISIS-affiliated terrorists in Syria fire shots at IDF soldiers
Members of a terrorist organization affiliated with ISIS in Syria fired gunshots at IDF soldiers in the Golan Heights. In response, the IDF soldiers returned fire and an Israeli Air Force aircraft was scrambled. The IDF has launched an official investigation into this incident.
Nov 27, 2016, 2:20PM Becca Noy
Illustration Photo Credit Basel Awidat/Flash 90
A serious incident occurred this morning (Sunday) in the southern Golan Heights when gunshots were fired at IDF soldiers in the area. No injuries were reported among the IDF soldiers. In addition, no damage was reported.
The gunshots were fired from near the fence on the Syrian side of the border. An IDF force from the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit that was in the area returned fire after the soldiers spotted the source of the gunshots. The IDF is currently investigating the incident.
In addition to the soldiers’ response, an IAF aircraft was scrambled. According to the initial investigation, it appears that the four terrorists who fired at the soldiers belonged to the Yarmouk Martyrs’ Brigade, a terrorist organization located in the southern Syria that is affiliated with ISIS. The four terrorists were eliminated in the exchange of fire that included mortar shells. Prior to today, there had been no recorded incidents between the terrorist organization and IDF forces.