Three Females Among IDF Naval Officer Course Graduates

Posted on: March 22nd, 2012

This week the 124th class of IDF Naval Officers, including three women, completed their training and were stationed on deck Israeli Navy vessels. While most IDF women serve only two years, these three officers have already served through the 36-month naval officers' course, as graduates will be required to sign up for at least an extra 16 months.

Germany Sells Israeli Navy its Sixth Submarine, 1 Year After Netanyahu Released PA Funds

Posted on: March 21st, 2012

Israel and Germany signed a contract purchasing the Israeli Navy's sixth submarine Wednesday. It is an SSK Dolphin Class submarine. Last year the newspaper The Welt am Sonntag reported that German chancellor Angela Merkel conditioned the sale of the Dolphin on Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, which Netanyahu obliged.

Netanyahu’s Son Court-Martialed for Going AWOL

Posted on: March 21st, 2012

Sergeant Yair Netanyahu will pay a heavy price for his longing for home cooking. The Prime Minister's son got 21 days detention after abandoning the Friday night shift in his unit and going to dine with his family.

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Israeli Spy Drones Going After Mexican Drug Cartels

Posted on: March 20th, 2012

In January The Marker reported that Elbit Systems Ltd., an Israel-based international defense electronics company had won a contract worth $50 million to supply the unmanned drone Hermes 900 to an unknown state on the American continent. Now Aviation Weekly reveals it must be the Mexican government.

IDF Chief of Staff Visits Canadian Counterpart, Relations ‘Growing’

Posted on: March 18th, 2012

The IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz concluded his official visit to Canada on Friday. Gantz was greeted by his Canadian counterpart, General Walt Natynczyk, who emphasized the importance he sees in strengthening security cooperation between the two countries. Since 2008 there has been an accelerated rapprochement between the Canadian and Israeli security establishments.

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Video: Cease Fire More Hope than Reality as 3 Rockets Hit Israel Thursday

Posted on: March 16th, 2012

Watch compilation of rocket attack filmed by civilians. The cease fire which was supposedly declared last Tuesday morning remains more wishful thinking than an actual cessation of violence. Or perhaps, as some experts have said, this is the Islamic Jihad's new style of hurting Israel, delivering the cuts of a thousand knives in groups of only three a day, to make any serious IDF reaction appear "disproportionate."

As ‘Occasional’ Grads Continue to Fall on Israeli Cities, Ashdod Deputy Mayor Says Israel’s Response Must Be ‘Unambiguous”

Posted on: March 15th, 2012

It has been unclear whether we're having a lull in the war or an interrupted peace, as Netivot, Beer Sheva and other population centers are hit every few hours. Standing in front of shattered glass storefronts, Ashdod Deputy Mayor Boris Giterman said southern mayors are asking Netanyahu "to put and end to this story."

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Ashkelon Mayor: This Time IDF Less Effective against Terrorists than Before

Posted on: March 15th, 2012

Mayor Benny Vaknin told the Jewish Press that he attended a meeting last weekend with PM Netanyahu in which, "we told him that it's already the fourth round in a year." "No other country in the world would have been willing that a million of its citizens be under attacks every two weeks, and 200 thousand children be staying at home instead of going to school."

Rocket Fire from Gaza Resumed, Grad Explodes in Netivot, Civilian Wounded

Posted on: March 14th, 2012

Following reports of a ceasefire, communities in the South were hoping that life would go back to normal, but at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday a Grad rocket exploded in a parking lot in Netivot, causing damage to vehicles. One person was lightly wounded by shrapnel; 11 suffered from shock.

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Riding High on the ‘Iron Dome,’ Rafael to Raise Half a Billion Shekels

Posted on: March 13th, 2012

Advanced defense systems developer Rafael, maker of the "Dome," took less than half a day since the last siren warning of incoming missiles, to announce it is issuing 500 million shekel ($133 million) in privately traded stocks. While the US made Patriot surface to air missiles' success rate is lower than 50%, the Iron Dome's performance this past weekend reached upwards of 85%.

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IDF Chief of Staff: ‘We Are Yet to Use Even One-Thousandth of our Power’

Posted on: March 13th, 2012

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, speaking Tuesday to new recruits of the K'fir Division, emphasized that "in the current round of fighting we are yet to have used even one thousandth of our power. Quiet will be answered with quiet," he promised, "but if it gets noisy in the southern settlements, it will be noisy in Gaza as well."

IAF Kills 2 Jihadists East of Gaza City, Death Toll at 25, Efforts on the Way to Bring Calm

Posted on: March 12th, 2012

Two Palestinians were killed Monday evening in an IAF strike east of Gaza City, bringing the death toll in Gaza to 25 since Friday. The IDF Spokesman reported that the IAF attacked a terrorist squad Monday night in northern Gaza, shortly before it was able to shoot a high trajectory, medium-range rocket toward Israeli territory.

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As Death Toll Reaches 23, Jihad, PRC ‘Will Not Accept’ Gaza Ceasefire

Posted on: March 12th, 2012

While Israel and Hamas are preparing to negotiate a ceasefire through Egyptian mediation, Gaza militants are determined to carry on shelling civilian targets inside Israel, until the latter commits to stop killing terrorist leaders from the air.

Israel Strikes Back Against Gaza as Citizens Endure Missiles

Posted on: March 12th, 2012

Israel killed 3 additional terrorists Monday morning, bringing Palestinian death toll to 16. Islamic terror groups launch 20 rockets Monday at Israeli civilians in the south. PM Netanyahu: "We will continue to hit whoever plans to attack citizens of the State of Israel."

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IAF Kills Shalit Kidnapper, Palestinian Rocket Attacks Met with Firm Retaliation, ‘Iron Dome’ Successful

Posted on: March 10th, 2012

While the Air Force continues to attack Gaza and rocket attacks on communities in the south persist, following the killing of Gilad Shalit's kidnapper, both Israel's Prime Minister and Minister of Defense are threatening terrorist organizations in Gaza. In conversation with mayors in the south, Netanyahu said: "We'll arm ourselves with additional Iron Dome systems, which have tested well again." Barak: "No one in Gaza is immune." IDF Chief of Staff: "We will respond aggressively to every rocket launch against Israel."

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Experts: Israel’s New Bunker-Busters Can Take Out Iran’s Nuke Plants

Posted on: March 6th, 2012

Berlin-based researcher Benjamin Weinthal argues that Israel is militarily capable today of launching a successful attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. It would require successive strikes, using GBU-28 bunker busters to knock out Iran's entire nuclear program. Those devastating bombs were delivered to Israel by President Obama, who made good on a promise made by President Bush.

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Israel to Sell Germany Spike Missiles Totaling Hundreds of Millions

Posted on: February 29th, 2012

Israel Defense reports that Eurospike, a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer Rafael, has signed a contract to supply Spike missiles totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to Germany.

Chief Military Rabbi: Religious Soldiers Do Not Have to Hear Female Singers at IDF Events

Posted on: February 23rd, 2012

On the heels of the Supreme Court's annulment of the Tal Law, and following weeks of harsh debates over the coerced participation of religious soldiers in IDF sponsored concerts with women singers, the IDF Chief Rabbi admitted Thursday that despite his liberal ruling on the matter, soldiers should be allowed to avoid entertainment they find religiously problematic.

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2012 Sees Lowest Number of IDF Recruits

Posted on: February 21st, 2012

The IDF website reports a decline in the number of army recruits this year, pinning the lowest recruitment rate in eight years on slower immigration and a low birth rates in 1994, when the 2012 generation was born. This year manpower shortage in the IDF will reach a peak, after a steady decline of 7.5 […]

Acre’s Arab Council Members Vote to Cut Soldiers’ Free Train Rides

Posted on: February 19th, 2012

A proposal to make traveling back to their base free for Acre residents on active military duty reveals a new rift in Jewish-Arab relations in this mixed city.