Israeli fighter narrowly missed passenger jet

A British flight from Egypt which veered off course into Israeli airspace came close to crashing into an Israeli fighter jet.

The flight from Sharm-el-Sheikh was not supposed to enter Israeli airspace but flew too far north from Egypt's Taba area, over the Sinai Peninsula towards Eilat, flying 13 miles into Israeli airspace.

The plane came close to hitting Israeli Air Force F-16 jets, but an IAF supervising officer noticed the plane in time. The IAF is investigating the incident as a serious security breach.

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IDF looking into dancing soldier video

Israel has condemned the perpetrator of a video that appears to show a soldier dancing next to a blindfolded Palestinian.

An IDF investigation has been launched into the clip, which features a woman in a headscarf and black robe.

The video was filmed and uploaded on to the internet in 2008 but only emerged this week,

An IDF spokesman said: “This will be done in any case that raises suspicions of similar conduct in the future."

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IDF taught British Army vital lessons

The former commander of British Forces in Afghanistan has praised the Israeli army and said the British Army has learnt important lessons from it.

Retired Colonel Richard Kemp said some policies by the British Army have been formed "as a direct result" of consultation with its Israeli counterpart.

Speaking at an event held by the Zionist Federation, Colonel Kemp made his comments as royal sculptor Frances Segelman completed a bust of him at a fundraising event for BLESMA (British Limbless Ex-Servicemen Association) and the Shalom Foundation, a children's charity.

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Revolution in the Israeli army

IDF Chief of General Staff Lt-Gen Gabi Ashkenazi is widely credited with putting Israel's military back on an operational footing after the Second Lebanon War. But when he ends his military career in five months' time, he may be remembered for an altogether more profound change in Israeli society.

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Prayer for IDF Druze allowed

Orthodox rabbis have been told that there is no problem with including the name of a Druze serviceman among prayers for Israel's missing soldiers.

Rabbi Julian Shindler, director of rabbinic liaison in the Office of the Chief Rabbi, emailed rabbis to say that they can mention Majdy Halabi, who disappeared five years ago.

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Leeds IDF festival experiment

An Israeli Defence Forces chaplain has brought overseas aid to the experimental Rosh Hashanah programme run by Leeds' Beth Hamidrash Hagadol Synagogue.

The shul's Rabbi Jason Kleiman said American-born Rabbi Shalom Hammer "gave a very powerful presentation about role of observant soldier in the IDF. It was the first time shiurim ran alongside services. The feedback has been very positive." The experimental programme had found favour with many who would not otherwise engage in services.

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New IDF chief Galant is 'a natural leader'

There has never been an IDF Chief of General Staff from the navy and that is no coincidence. The Israeli navy may be known as the Senior Service but, in the IDF, it has always been the poor and underfunded cousin.

But within the close-knit family of naval commandos, Yoav Galant was a legend, dating back to his days as a young officer on raids on the Lebanese coast in the late 1970s. His physical strength and natural leadership skills gained the respect of his soldiers but also of his commanders.

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