IDF

It’s the Gaza Strip (again): female IDF soldiers post provocative video

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:09:52 +0100

Amateur video footage of female Israeli soldiers dancing in their underwear has been making waves on social media websites.

The video shows female soldiers spanking each other and using their military-issue rifles as stripper poles.

A censored clip was played on Israel’s Channel 2 news.

“We need to strike the iron while it is hot and put an end to this,” former Women’s Corp officer Orit Adatto told Channel 2 news on Tuesday. “We must make clear to the soldiers the harm this does to us [the IDF] both here and abroad.”

She continued: “I would crack down on this. After two or three times that people are punished severely, others will be deterred from doing it”.

The video comes a week after female Israeli soldiers based in southern Israel were disciplined after pictures emerged of them posing in their underwear. In one of the pictures, two newly recruited women expose their bottoms to the camera.

In New York, 20,000 Orthodox protest against draft

Zoe Winograd — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:06:47 +0100

Thousands of Charedim gathered in New York yesterday to protest against the Israeli government’s moves to force the Orthodox to join the army.

The New York City police reported that 20,000 Charedim filled Foley Square in lower Manhattan holding banners which read “freedom of religion” and “Orthodox Jews will proudly go to jail rather than join the Zionist army.”

A sea of black hats listened to speeches in English and Yiddish whilst some supporters locked themselves inside cages pretending to study Torah through the bars.

The Rabbinical Council of America condemned the "anti-Israel rally".

The Charedi protest was organised in response to last month's decision by an Israeli ministerial committee to advance a bill that would force Orthodox Israelis to enlist in the IDF or face penalties that include jail terms.

Boom time for the Negev as vast military complex rises from sand

Nathan Jeffay — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:00:41 +0100

By the end of this year, Israeli soldiers will start to move into the country's first megabase - starting a process that will change civilian as well as military life.

At a 500-acre plot, tractors and cement mixers are working at full speed to build living quarters, training facilities, sports areas and synagogues.

It lies in the Negev, the sparsely populated desert that Israel's first prime minister dreamed of developing.

"We are fulfilling David Ben Gurion's vision," said Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Alfassi, who is in charge of the project.

The project will create the Negev's third-largest city - after Dimona and Beersheva - according to Mr Alfassi.

Almost two years ago, Israel's social protest movement was born. It began with the pitching of tents in central areas of Tel Aviv, a symbol of anger about the lack of housing available in central Israel and the high price of what is available. The IDF said that this base - and several more like it that are in the pipeline - will help solve this problem.

"We are freeing up 4,000 dunams, where lots and lots of housing can be built," said Mr Alfassi, talking about an area equal to 1,000 acres in central Israel that will be vacated when facilities are moved to the new megabase. "It can bring down house prices and benefit the population."

Once at full capacity in 2015, the Ir Habahadim base will hold 10,000 army personnel and 2,500 civilian staff on a typical day. It is costing £1.5 billion to construct, but does not dent the military's pocket because it is moving off valuable land in the centre of the country. And, said Mr Alfassi, the army gains more modern facilities in the process.

If his projections are correct, it will not only make living in the centre of the country more affordable, but also bring some of the opportunities of the centre southwards, helping to redistribute jobs and opportunities.

The Negev is home to poor populations, including Jews from immigrant backgrounds and Bedouin, who tend to lack economic opportunities. But once the base is there, said Mr Alfassi confidently, "the economic level will increase". It will generate work, including jobs for "lots of Bedouin".

He added that it will also encourage highly-trained individuals who are career soldiers to move to Negev communities. The military has already moved a significant amount of airforce infrastructure to the Negev.

A little over a year ago, the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee announced that it aimed to double the population of the Negev by 2025, and said it saw military plans as key. "All the momentum that has grown in the Negev is thanks to the wonderful human capital that is found here, and the transfer of army families south," said the ministry's director-general, Orna Uzman Bachor.

Israel releases conscientious objector

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:21:41 +0100

An Israeli conscientious objector has been released after five and a half months in jail.

Natan Blanc, 20, refused to serve in the Israel Defence Forces because of his opposition to the occupation and spent 178 days in prison.

Members of his family and Yesh Gvul – an organisation which supports conscientious objectors – greeted Mr Blanc when he was released earlier today.

One of the Yesh Gvul activists commented: “We're glad that the IDF, even though it had to be pressured politically, understood that there's no point in remaining angry at someone because he isn’t going to serve.”

According to sources, Mr Blanc intends to complete his national service with Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom.

Touching bottom? IDF girls pose in underwear

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:49:44 +0100

Female Israeli soldiers based in southern Israel have been disciplined after pictures emerged of them posing in their underwear.

In one of the pictures, two newly recruited women expose their bottoms to the camera.

The military reportedly said the young women had acted in a manner that showed "unbecoming behaviour" for Israeli soldiers. "The commanding officers disciplined the soldiers as they saw fit," it said.

The statement does not identify the soldiers or give any details about the punishments.

The racy photos were uploaded onto Facebook, the latest in a number of controversies involving young members of the IDF and social media.

In 2010, photos of IDF female soldiers posing in front of Palestinian prisoners were posted on Facebook. This had led to a ban on young soldiers from the use of social media at IDF bases. Meanwhile, earlier this year, a solider was reprimanded for sending an anti-Palestinian tweet.

Coalition near-crisis over conscription

Anshel Pfeffer — Thu, 30 May 2013 20:00:55 +0100

Israel’s governing coalition this week avoided its first major crisis since it was formed barely two months ago, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his defence minister to remove his opposition to a new national service law.

Finance Minister Yair Lapid had threatened to withdraw his party, Yesh Atid, from government if the law was not approved.

The crisis began on Sunday night when, at a ministerial committee meeting, an argument broke out between Science Minister Yaakov Peri and Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon over the sanctions for those who refuse to join the army.

The original draft of the law said that they would be considered criminals. Mr Yaalon objected to this clause, saying that it would “set the Charedi street alight”, and that the defence minister should have discretion to decide what sanctions should be used. On Monday Mr Lapid sent an ultimatum to the prime minister threatening to resign and withdraw from the coalition within 24 hours if the government did not approve a law including criminal sanctions.

On Monday evening, Mr Netanyahu relented and asked Mr Yaalon to approve the law and keep his reservations for the more advanced legislative stages. The cabinet passed the law on Wednesday.

Israeli cabinet approves punishments for Orthodox draft-dodgers

Zoe Winograd — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:48:12 +0100

An Israeli ministerial committee has approved a new law which includes criminal sanctions against Orthodox men who dodge the draft.

The legislation was approved on Wednesday following two days of fiery exchanges between members of Knesset.

The draft proposes that yehivah students in full-time Torah study must enlist with the IDF or register for civil service by the age of 21. Only 1,800 top yeshivah students will be exempt from this rule.

According to the new proposal, Orthodox men who do not enlist by this time will be considered draft dodgers and face criminal punishment.

The bill has been sent to the Knesset where it will be voted on.

Israeli coalition crisis over Orthodox draft

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:58:17 +0100

Serious tensions have surfaced within the Israeli government over legislation on military enlistment for the Orthodox.

At a Peri Committee meeting held on Sunday and Monday, Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri and Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon argued over a proposal to imprison Orthodox men who avoid conscription.

Members of Yesh Atid were outraged by a proposal from Mr Yaalon to drop the legislation.

Finance Minister Yair Lapid stressed the importance of including punishments for those who dodge the draft in the bill.

Mr Lapid wrote on Facebook: “We will not sit in a government not willing to move on the issue of an equal share of burden. There is an historic opportunity to right an historic wrong, a bleeding wound in the heart of Israeli society. Whoever is out to compromise this opportunity in order to make political gains undercuts Israel, Zionism, the IDF and every young Israeli who has ever entered an induction centre.”

Ministers Limor Livnat, Amir Peretz and Uri Ariel announced that they opposed one of the legislation's central articles which ruled that heads of yeshivahs could face criminal charges if their students dodge the draft.

The committee unanimously authorised one article - that each year, 1,800 exemptions from IDF service will be given to yeshivah students.

The Peri Committee was set up in 2012 with the aim of integrating the Orthodox community into Israel’s military.

Israeli military chief warns Syria of 'consequences' over attacks

Zoe Winograd — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:26:18 +0100

Israeli military’s chief of staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz has warned Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad that he will “bear the consequences” if Syria continues to attack Israel.

Lt Gen Gantz told an audience at Haifa University on Tuesday: “We will not allow the area of the Golan Heights to become a comfortable place for Mr Assad.”

“If Mr Assad impairs the situation in the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences.”

The military chief’s speech came hours after Syria attacked an Israeli army jeep in the Golan Heights. This was followed by an Israeli missile attack targeting the source of Syrian gunfire. It was the third incident across the border this week.

Israel and Syria exchange fire in the Golan Heights

Marcus Dysch — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:01:52 +0100

Israeli and Syrian forces have exchanged fire in the Golan Heights in the latest in a series of incidents on the border.

The Syrian army claimed it had destroyed an IDF jeep that it said had infiltrated into Syrian territory in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

No Israelis are thought to have been injured in the incident. An IDF spokesman confirmed a vehicle had been damaged by "light weapons fire" and that a rocket had been fired in retaliation, scoring a "direct hit" on Syrian forces.

It was the third time an Israeli Tammuz rocket was fired back into Syria.

The clashes follow a number of similar skirmishes and increasing tension in the border region in recent weeks.

Syrian shells have hit Israel twice this week. It is not known whether Syrian forces directly targeted Israeli army positions or had unsuccessfully aimed at rebels.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon reiterated Israel's position and said: “We do not interfere in the civil war, but we will not allow it to enter our territory.”