The Pathway to the IDF Elites

This is a story about our best Israeli sons, that choose to work and train very hard, putting their life in danger in order to fulfill their dreams and to get honored by serving with the best of the best in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) most elite units.

Roey, a special forces (669) fighter and officer, and his big brother, who served in the Sayeret Matkal and Yamam (Israeli best Elite anti terror units), have founded The Pathway- the way to significant Israeli military service. 

The Pathway is an educational organization which is based on amplifying the inner strength, the love of Israel, dealing with mental and physical challenges, not only for the IDF but to a way of life as well. 

For the country, for the Israeli flag and moreover, for themselves. 

Directed, filmed and edited by Yossy Mendelovich: https://www.facebook.com/yossy.mendel...

FB page of the program: http://tinyurl.com/qaauk6k

'Beneath the Helmet' Promo Video

Beneath the Helmet explores five young soldiers personal lives, dreams, fears and dilemmas, revealing the human side of Israel's military and the inspiring young people who make up the IDF.

COMMENTS IN HONOR OF THE SEDUOS PREIDAH OF DOVID SHIMSHON FEIGEN'S INDUCTION INTO THE LONE SOLDIER PROGRAM OF THE IDF -- 10-13-2014

Good evening, and a Gutten Moed.

I usually speak to judges and juries in my professional capacity as a civil trial attorney. Tonight, I am speaking to you in my capacity as a neighbor, as a Shul member, as a Kohein, and as a friend.

For years, I have sat next to Rabbi Yehuda Feigen at the Shabbos morning Kiddush in Shul and at the Shabbos afternoon Shalosh Seudos. We schmoozed about small talk, anything and everything.

Many times, his son Dovid would sit between us, and little by little, I got to know this young man. At first, he was a bit quirky, sharing with me his corny jokes and exploits (with parking tickets, social media, and the laws). But for the most part, he sat in between his father and I as we schmoozed about stuff.

But one Shabbos afternoon during Shalosh Seudos, as I was doing my thing - monopolizing the conversation with other men at the table, advocating my unique brand of pro-Israel positions, when suddenly, this cute kid to my right, chimed in, joined the conversation, and offered his astute and accurate observations and commentary about the successes of Iron Dome, about the integrity and morality of the IDF, about arab atrocities and human rights violations, about the UN’s hostility towards Israel, and about President Obama’s ambiguous and confusing support for Israel.

My jaw dropped, and I did a double-take as I took in Dovid Shimshon’s articulately worded commentaries. I suddenly stopped in my tracks monopolizing the conversation and took serious heed of what this ‘kid’ was saying.. I was absolutely floored and impressed with him and his message. I mentioned to him that I have a blog entitled American Trial Attorneys in Defense of Israel, and the next thing I knew, he asked for my business card because he wanted to check it out for himself.

And since then, I have looked forward to my weekly encounters with Dovid at the Shabbos Kiddush and Shalosh Seudos, because his keen insights on Israel and her neighbors were, and are, 100% on the money. He is very well-read young man and very proficient in this area. His facebook postings about Israel (which I have read) reflect his strong values and his stronger commitment to a safe Israel.

When I learned that Dovid is volunteering to serve in the Tzahal - the Israel Defense Forces, as part of it’s Lone Soldier program, I was not surprised and was in absolutely in awe of the man that this ‘quirky’ joke-telling kid has become. The child has become a man and a leader and an example to us all.

I’m in awe of him, and for good reason. Dovid could easily live in the lap of luxury, and enjoy life like a happy go lucky teenager; with solid financial and emotional from his loving parents: my good friends: Rabbi Yehuda & Simi Feigen. But Dovid seems to be made from a different clothe. He is far more altruistic, far more driven, far more focused, and not seemingly interested in living a “soft” idyllic life in LA. He wants to serve his People and he wants to protect Klal Yisroel and he wants to protect the Land of Israel. If that does not floor you, I don’t know what would. This kid is amazing. His parents are also amazing for supporting him fully. But his parents are not the focus of tonight’s gathering and I’m sure that they will forgive me for passing on their praise and rather focusing on their son. But they deserve the praise as well.

While other Israeli kids look desperately for ways to get out of this kind of public service, to dodge the draft to the IDF, Dovid is reaching out from the other side of the world, from the relative safety and security of Hancock Park, to be one with his People and is volunteering to serve.

Make no mistake, this is not an adolescent whim nor a crazy teenage joy-ride. This is very serious business and Dovid is as focused as ever on doing this well. Because he wants to make Aliyah and live in Israel, he wants to do his share and serve. This is beyond honorable.

Tonight's Seudas Pereida is loosely translated as a Celebration of Separation. But I will not agree with the definition. I will be praying for your welfare everyday and will remain connected to you in my Tefilos sending you good thoughts awaiting your safe return.

In honor of Dovid Shimshon, I thought it would be befitting to read to you an amazing letter by IDF Colonel Ofer Winter, the commander of the IDF’s Givati Brigade; which is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets. The Brigade's symbol is the fox, alluding to Shualei Shimshon (lit. Samson's Foxes), a unit in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Ofer Winter’s letter was official dispatch sent to battalion and company commanders on July 9, 2014 and it came came as Israel geared up for possible ground operations against Hamas in the Palestinian territory in Operation Protectiver Shield in Gaza. The ground incursion involved the Givati Brigade. Ofer’s letter inspired and gave moral clarity to our entire people:

“We have been bestowed a great privilege to command and serve in the Givati Brigade at this time. History has chosen us to be on the cutting edge of the war against the terrorist enemy, the “one of Gaza” [cf. Yehoshua 13:3] who curses, reviles, and defames the G-d of the battalions of Israel. [Cf. Dovid’s encounter with Golias, the Plishti, Shmuel I 17:10, 26, 36, 45.] Let us prepare and ready ourselves for this moment when we accept upon ourselves this mission with a sense of agency and complete humility and with a readiness to put ourselves in danger or give up our lives in order to protect our families, our nation, and our birthplace.

Let us work with resolve and strength and with initiative, strategy, and hard work in our encounter with the enemy. We will do everything we can to fulfill our mission to cut down the enemy and to remove fear from the people of Israel. Our credo is “We do not return before the mission is done.” Let us work and do everything we can to bring back our boys in peace by utilizing every means at our disposal and with any effort that is required.

I am relying on you, on each and every one of you, to do your duty in this spirit, the spirit of Jewish warriors who go out in in front of the camp. “The spirit which is called ‘Givati.’”  I lift up my eyes to Heaven and say with you, “Shma Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.” May Hashem, the G-d of Israel, bring success in our mission in which we stand to do battle for the sake of Your people Israel against the enemy who curses Your Name.

In the name of the warriors of the IDF generally, and in particular, in the name of the warriors and commanders of our Brigade, may Hashem act and fulfill in us that which it says in the pasuk, “Hashem your G-d goes out with you to do battle with your enemies for you to save you” [Devarim 20:4], and let us say Amen.

"Together, and only together, will we be victorious."

Ofer Winter, Aluf Mishneh, Commander, Givati Brigade”

I mentioned that I am a Kohein, and as such, I would like to bless Dovid with a Birchas Kohein, and I ask that Dovid come up and allow me to bless him

Israeli soldiers dancing before Gaza entry: "We Have No one Rely Upon Except Our Father In Heaven"

Moments before these Israeli soldiers enter Gaza and place their lives at risk for the sake of the Land of Israel, they prepare themselves by singing and dancing songs of faith in the G-d of Israel. They are singing: 
1) "The whole world is a narrow bridge and the main thing is not to be afraid" - a famous rabbinical phrase
2) Serve G-d with joy and come before Him with song
3) "We Have No one Rely Upon Except Our Father In Heaven"

See With Your Own Eyes How The Israeli Public Treats The IDF

Israel Navy Soldiers Sing Shabbat Song At Sea; צפו: קבלת שבת בים בדרך לתפיסת הספינה

As Shabbat began last week, these soldiers had already set sail to stop Iran's weapons shipment from reaching Gaza terrorists. In the middle of the sea, they all sang "Shalom Aleichem" -- a Shabbat song meaning "peace be upon you." Days later, their successful mission brought peace upon the entire nation of Israel. They are our heroes. Shabbat Shalom.

Israeli Company Testing Ambulance Drones The unpiloted AirMule can fly with up to 800 pounds of cargo

The AirMule, an unmanned emergency rescue vehicle. (Tactical Robotics)

Israeli startup Urban Aeronautics is testing a flying ambulance drone they hope to release before 2020, Business Insider reports. The vehicle, which is called the AirMule, would be used to perform rescues in places like dense urban environments, where helicopter maneuvering is difficult. The AirMule is directed and controlled remotely and it can fly unpiloted with up to 880 pounds of cargo.
Its primary purpose is to assist with rescues during military operations:

A much quieter, remotely-piloted aircraft like this would be a game changer for military personnel. Medical evacuations for wounded troops have greatly improved since the introduction of the helicopter, but pilots still must be weary of enemy fire. That won’t be the case with a pilot controlling the aircraft far from the danger.

The drone would also be able to deliver aid to isolated populations and rescue civilians in the event of a natural disaster. While the concept sounds futuristic, it might not actually be so long before these ambulance drones start being utilized by the military—according to Popular Mechanics, the AirMule successfully undertook a series of fully automated test flights last month.

Still, the first pilot-less emergency rescue vehicle is going to cost you. Each AirMule is $2.5 million—and their continued production will, naturally, depend on increased demand

ISRAPUNDIT: My 2 years as an IDF spokesperson by Barak Raz, TOI

Reflecting on the past two years representing the IDF in the West Bank, so many thoughts run through my mind – lessons learned, ideas discovered, emotions felt, and experiences had. For the past two weeks, I have tried to sum it all up, rather unsuccessfully. Overwhelmed with ideas, emotions and experiences, it has been difficult for me to write a comprehensive summary of all that I’ve seen, heard, felt, thought and learned. Nonetheless, this is my attempt at doing so, so that I can share with all of you – my friends, family, colleagues, and those who have joined me digitally – my final reflections before I leave my position as Spokesperson for the Judea and Samaria Division. (I urge you read my post from last Friday.).)

Whenever I brief on the situation in the West Bank, I am consistently struck by the complexities and intricacies of the IDF’s critical mission in the area. While I have spent the past two years explaining incidents that involve our troops, this past Tuesday (Aug. 6, 2013), I found myself in the midst of a security event that could have ended very badly.

I was on a tour with LT Yehonatan, my successor, and we were driving from Division HQ to the Shomron Brigade HQ. While driving along Route 60, we passed through the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Huwara. Huwara can hardly be considered a friendly village, and the stretch of highway that meets the village has been the site of explosive device attacks, shootings, pipe-bombs, fire bombs (Molotov cocktails), burning tires, and rock throwing. About three weeks ago, in the very same location, IDF troops had caught the man responsible for the June 12th and June 25th shooting incidents.

As we were driving, I noticed a Palestinian male who appeared to be in his mid-teens standing about 5 meters off the road. In the seconds that I watched him, he drew a grey pistol and aimed it at us.

Have you ever had a gun aimed at you? Because I hadn’t.

I immediately jerked the car as we made eye contact. Startled, the young man immediately disappeared into the alleyways. My heart was pounding and thousands of thoughts ran through my mind in the blink of an eye. Do I scramble out of the car and give chase? Do I fire warning shots in the air in an attempt to halt his escape? Do I drive into Huwara in an attempt to chase him down quickly? But that wasn’t all. Was he 16 or was he younger? Was it a gun or was it a toy? If it was a real gun, why didn’t he fire when he had me in his sights (mind you, I had a clear vision of the darkness inside the barrel)? If it was a toy gun and he was playing – where were his friends? Then there were the thoughts that brought me back to the many operational probes I sat through. If I scrambled after him, would LT Yehonatan know what was happening? How would he respond and what would he do? Do we leave the car together, and give chase together? Do we drive in, together, with the car? Do we split up, where I give chase and leave him behind (on foot or in the car) as backup, cover, and a way to direct the forces we called in? If I went after him (either on my own or with LT Yehonatan, either with the car or on foot) in what situation would I find myself once inside this hostile village? And what kind of response does such a situation warrant? If I responded with force in light of a perceived clear and present threat, what could have been the consequences? If I opened fire, what if I were wrong? If I held fire, what if I were wrong then? What would happen down the line if I let the apparent suspect get away?

Many questions in very little time, but two things were certain – I couldn’t ignore the situation, so some action was required, and the dilemmas facing soldiers in situations like these are endless. When backup arrived, we looked for the suspect. We came up empty handed and the day went on.

This incident reinforced something that I always try to explain: the threat is real. The lack of “successful” terror attacks from the West Bank in recent years should never be confused with a lack of motivation or desire on the part of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or the dozens of other organizations that work tirelessly in order to reestablish themselves in the region. The relative calm and security stability that exists in the West Bank today has by and large resulted from an ongoing security effort headed by the IDF.

This security effort has two main aspects – ongoing routine security operations (which include the security fence, crossings, and riot containment) and ongoing counterterrorism operations (which include arrests and intelligence gathering and analysis). By combining these two aspects, the IDF conducts a comprehensive effort in the face of the many security threats and challenges.

For the past two years, all I have done, night and day was live, sleep, eat and breathe the various dilemmas the IDF faces when conducting an ongoing security effort in this volatile region. While many have grown accustomed the current situation, we mustn’t kid ourselves – the violent currents are strong and they are just beneath the surface. The hard-won security stability is the product of over a decade of effective counterterrorism and routine security operations; and it can all vanish in an instant.

This is why IDF commanders constantly assess and reassess the situation while considering a plethora of factors – from terrorism and rioting, through law and public order, to issues of quality of life and economics. Our assessments include evaluations of our own actions. On the one hand, we understand the risk of doing “too little”, while on the other we understand that by doing “too much”; we could possibly undermine that same stability we aim to create and preserve.

The consequences of a destabilized West Bank are dire – for Israelis, for Palestinians, for the region, and perhaps the world. A destabilization of the West Bank, an area that engulfs the critical coastline that is home to 75% of Israelis and produces 80% of our GDP, would have a direct impact on Israeli security, threatening countless lives (think of the hundreds of bus bombings and shootings we experienced just a few years ago). It would also damage the Palestinians’ quality of life, civil order, and economy. A return to the cycle of violence we knew in the Second Intifada period would inevitably result in a tragic loss of thousands of lives on both sides. Also, a destabilized West Bank would no doubt affect the region beyond our borders, when considering the situation in other Middle Eastern countries, therefore becoming a concern of global proportions. Certainly when considering Israel’s overall strategic security situation and the wide-array of threats facing our small vulnerable country, both near and far, one can understand why we must do everything in our power to prevent a deterioration in the West Bank.

The IDF is an organization that evolves through a process of implementing lessons learned and employing a system of checks and balances. There are many misconceptions when it comes to the way we operate and the many considerations we make when defining these operations. Our operations have evolved over the years, and are often misperceived. Whether it be the issue of checkpoints that for the most part no longer exist within our operational concept, the importance and necessity of arrest operations, or the principles through which we seek to contain violent rioting – there is nothing simple about our operations and there is no perfect answer to an imperfect security situation.

In no way, shape or form should any of this be understood as a statement with implications in either direction – it should be understood as stressing the importance of stability in the region and the work that goes into creating it, regardless of what the future might bring. After all, in the Middle East, there is no way of knowing what’s just around the corner – anyone who claims to “know” what will be is only kidding himself.

I, like most people, do share the hopes for a brighter future – no matter how that future is achieved. Also, I do consider myself an optimist. To express that, I’d like to borrow an anecdote from Israeli President Shimon Peres. When he was once asked by a journalist whether he was an optimist or pessimist, he replied with the following: “optimists and pessimists both die in the end – the difference is how they live their lives.”

As I have said, this is my last weekend on the job. On Sunday I pass it over to LT Yehonatan, my good friend and long-time colleague. I wish him much luck with what is certain to be a challenging period – and I am certain he will perform with excellence!

With that, I’d like to say that it was an honor and a privilege to serve my people and country in this capacity for the past two years – as Spokesperson for the Judea & Samaria Division. I thank you all for following along, and I look forward to whatever lies ahead.

[Captain Barak Raz has just completed two years as spokesperson for the 

Judea & Samaria Division of Israel Defense Forces Central Command. His 
previous positions in the Spokesperson's Unit include Head of North American 
Media Desk , Instructor and commander at the IDF School for Communication, 
and Foreign Press Branch Operations Officer. Raised in Queens, New York, 
Barak now lives in Tel Aviv, Israel. He earned an MA in Contemporary Middle 
Eastern Studies from Tel Aviv University (2011) and a BA in Political 
Science, Judaic Studies, and International Studies from SUNY-Binghamton 
University (2005). ] 

YNET: documentary follows Golani troops in basic training Original two-part film follows Golani Brigade combatants during hardships of basic training

"Golani – Basic Training Reality," an original Ynet documentary by Nir Cohen and Eli Strul, follows the soldiers of the GolaniBrigade's 51st Battalion during their rigorous basic training period.

The film brings the personal stories of an orphan from Venezuelawho goes AWOL in the middle of basic training, a soldier whose mother has Muscular Dystrophy, a platoon commander who is relieved of his duties, and more.

The birth of the Israeli air force

'It was in the army that I started to feel Israeli'

Celebrating 65 Years of Defense

May 31st, 1948: On this day, 65 years ago, Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, founded the Israel Defense Forces. It hasn't always been easy, but over the past six and a half decades, we IDF soldiers have never wavered: looking danger in the eyes, confronting fear with bravery, and making the impossible possible. We do not take our responsibility lightly. We have the sole duty of protecting the existence of the State of Israel, and we promise to pass this sense of duty and devotion on to future generations of soldiers. 
Happy Birthday, IDF

Israeli soldiers of the Golani Brigade pray close to the cease-fire line between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights

A prayer for the Israeli soldiers - תפילה לשלום חיילי צה"ל

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבותֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעומְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנון וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדול עַד לְבוא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן ה' אֶת אויְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדושׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂונְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחון. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה' אֱלהֵיכֶם הַהלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם איבֵיכֶם לְהושִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: וְנאמַר אָמֵן

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Israel Defense Forces- One of the Strongest Armies in the World

Israeli Air Force- Ultimate Power

Hang on for the ride of your life, as you follow the Israeli Air Force through the skies in this powerful video with incredible footage of fighter jets and their pilots. The IAF is one of the strongest protectors of Israel and their courage on missions is legendary.

The night when myths were born The IDF's elite reconnaissance unit, Sayeret Matkal, is known for its daring missions behind enemy lines, most of which are still classified • Ahead of the publication of a new book, its former members speak.

na operation in 1972, in which Sayeret Matkal commandos stormed the hijacked Belgian carrier dressed as technicians. Ehud Barak is seen here at the head of the rescuers.  |  Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

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On the night of April 9, 1973, almost exactly 40 years ago, Israeli commandos conducted a raid that shocked the Palestinians and many others around the world. During the raid, known as Operation Spring of Youth, three top Fatah officials were assassinated in their homes in Beirut. The Israel Defense Forces also bombed the organization's headquarters, which housed forces loyal to Nayef Hawatmeh's Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Some 50 terrorists were killed. Various weapon production facilities and a workshop were destroyed as well.

Apart from the substantial damage that was inflicted on the terrorist organizations, the operation was a major psychological blow for the Palestinians. The sense of security the terrorists enjoyed in Beirut, that feeling that Israel would not catch up with them there, was shattered. "Spring of Youth made a searing impression in the Arab World ... Israel's message of deterrence spread – the Mossad and the Israelis can reach anyone, anywhere, even in their bedrooms," writes Aaron J. Klein in his book "Striking Back – The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response," which deals with Israel's assassination policy overseas.

The operation was spearheaded by a team of 16 elite fighters from Sayeret Matkal, or as it commonly referred to, "The Unit." They were tasked with the overarching mission of assassinating the three top Fatah officials: Muhammad Yussef Najar (known as Abu Yussef ), who served as deputy to then PLO leader Yasser Arafat and the operations officer for Black September, the terrorist organization behind the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics; Kamel Nasser, a PLO spokesman and Arafat's right-hand man; and Kamal Adwan, who was in charge of several terrorist cells in the West Bank and Israel. The team leader was the unit's commanding officer at the time, Ehud Barak, who along with two other Sayeret Matkal fighters, Amiram Levin and Lonny Rafael, was disguised as a woman. That anecdotal fact was partially responsible for the special place this operation has in the pantheon of Israeli raids.

Naturally, the elimination of the Fatah senior leadership attracted the most coverage at the time. But the fighters also had to contend with another, less high-valued target, one that required grace under fire, courage, a willingness to sacrifice, and the ability to keep your head cool at all times, even in impossible situations. That target was the Fatah headquarters. A paratroopers contingent was tasked with that part of the mission. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, then a commander of the Paratroopers' Brigade's 50th Battalion, led the charge. He would later become chief of general staff. Shahak and his soldiers encountered heavy resistance and the two sides engaged in a large shoot out. But the IDF managed to plant and detonate the explosives even in the midst of the battle, bringing the building down. Lipkin-Shahak won a citation for his conduct during the raid. The successful operation cost the lives of two soldiers: Avida Shor and Haggai Maayan.

"Our team had been busy working on a special operation on the Golan Heights front, so because of the compartmentalization, we did not know anything about Operation Spring of Youth," says Avner Shor, who wrote the book "Team Itamar – Sayeret Matkal, the People, the Operations, the Atmosphere," which has recently come out in a new edition. Shor, a member of Kibbutz Shoval and a former Sayeret Matkal commando, may have been kept in the dark on Operation Spring of Youth, but he could tell something was cooking when he saw his brother Avida days before the raid.

"On the Friday before the operation, I met my brother in the kibbutz, and I noticed that he was wearing black boots, not sandals," he recalls. "That seemed strange, so I asked him what was up with that, to which he replied, 'My girlfriend gave them to me as a Passover present,' but I was still skeptical."

The next morning, Avner's team, Team Itamar, was back on the Golan Heights. Avner, and another member of the team, Farhi, were summoned to the team commander's office. "When the paratroopers and The Unit raided Beirut last night, your brother Avida was seriously wounded, and later died, " Itamar told Avner.

"The news of my brother's death took some time to sink in," Avner says. "But this was accompanied by a concern that I would be kicked out of the unit because I was a bereaved brother. The only way to stay was to have my parents sign a waiver. I could not even contemplate asking them to do that. I could not sleep at night. I kept on bracing for the possibility that I would be sent home."

"And so, when that day came, I suddenly came up with a spectacular idea," Avner says. "I asked whether there was someone who could authorize my continued service in the unit even without my parents' consent; I was told only the IDF chief of general staff could do that. So I told them, 'Arrange a meeting.' I met Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. David [Dado] Elazar shortly afterward, and he allowed me to stay. Even today, I am still the only one who got to serve in an IDF combat unit without first obtaining the signature of my [bereaved] parents." There is pride in Avner's voice when he says that.

This unique story underscores the special esprit de corps in Sayeret Matkal, a spirit that keeps it moving. Until not so long ago, all references to the unit's activity, let alone its name, was under a media blackout. But it has produced some of the most famous names in Israel's political and defense establishments: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former premier Ehud Barak, Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon, former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Former Deputy Chief of General Staff Uzi Dayan, Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett, Labor MK Omer Bar Lev and others. Nevertheless, there are rare instances where even its veil of secrecy gets lifted, and the public gets a glimpse of the covert activity.

Shor's book does little to clear the fog, but it does allow an unusual vantage point into the demanding and exacting training the unit's fighters have to undergo. Training begins with a 120 kilometer (74 mile) march that culminates with an intense team-building session. This part is designed to turn each team into a family.

"The prospect of leaving the unit, or rather the team [because of Avida's death] would have made me suffer two losses — one that involves a biological brother and another the involves eleven chemical brothers; I would not have survived that."

Former cabinet minister Avi Dichter, who was also on Team Itamar, adds: "People are unaware of how right they are when they call Sayeret Matkal 'The Unit,' with a capital T. For policy makers, the quality of the product manufactured by Sayeret Matkal is unmatched; neither can such quality be found anywhere else. The unit can conduct its raids with other people, but none of the other units can conduct the kind of raids it carries out."

When Dichter is asked to define The Unit's contribution to state security, Dichter does not hesitate. "The Unit allows the state to go beyond the horizon; it is ahead of the state by one or two steps and allows the decision makers to look far ahead. It serves as an avante garde when it comes to operational innovation. The movies "Air Force One" and "Olympus Has Fallen" would qualify as nothing more than an opening scene to a movie on Sayeret Matkal, if one was ever produced.

An absolute bond

Sayeret Matkal was established in the late 1950s by Avraham Arnan as a reconnaissance unit that operated behind enemy lines (according to foreign sources the type of intelligence it collected was SIGINT, or signal intelligence). But the unit now functions as an elite commando force. The unit's first teams were composed of Sephardi Jews (with the exception of Ehud Barak) because Arnan modeled the unit on the pre-state militia, the Palmach, which had special forces tasked with blending in with the local Arab population.

The legendary fighters of Unit 101 and its commander Meir Har Zion were tapped to train the newly formed unit, but this turned out to be an epic failure, at least in the beginning. Eventually, Har Zion approached Arnan and told him bluntly: "You cannot turn new immigrants into good soldiers in three years; you can teach them Arabic but it takes longer than that to adopt a different mind set. So, if you want to have this work, bring kibbutzniks who know how to plough the fields and ride horses. And that is what happened."

Prior to the Six-Day War, the unit's members were the one's who filled in the ranks by courting their friends, mostly from kibbutzim. Then new recruits started coming out of elite schools such as Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium and Hebrew University High School (known as Leyada) in Jersualem, the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa and the military boarding school in Tel Aviv.

While Itamar may be just one of many teams the unit has had over the years, its members comprise a unique group of high achievers. Some of them were born into Jerusalem's elite (and hence are called "princes"), some were from moshavim and kibbutzim (communal settlements) and a small number of them grew up in an urban (rather than agricultural) setting. Some of them went on to occupy senior positions in every segment of Israeli society

How do you make such a heterogeneous group share such a strong bond?

"This question goes to the heart of it," says Shor. "How do you make all those people from respected families fit into one melting pot alongside kibbutzim and moshavim members that have nothing in common with them and have no overlapping areas, and then have them emerge from training as one team whose members have all but shed their differences, both in their way of speaking, their level of motivation and the effort they expend in their mission."

"It happens because you live with a tightly knit group of people 24/7 and go through unique experiences that impact you tremendously and build a common bond," Shor explains.

"The group undergoes a process of homogenization, and the team members increasingly start to resemble one another and feel more connected. A key feature in the unit's training and its team-building process is teamwork; team members are taught to work together, that point is driven home quite substantially. That is why today you see many of the unit members occupy key positions in the military and in civilian life, from various industries to politics. They know how to work together.

"When you compare them to the Israel Air Force pilots, who are also a select team of highly talented individuals, you see that while they outnumber those from The Unit, they are less represented at the higher echelons of our society. I believe this is because they [the pilots] are trained to work as individuals; team work does not come as naturally. Those in the Shayetet [shorthand for Shayetet 13, the Israel Navy's commando unit] also undergo more personalized training. Our training was supposed to give us the ability to comprehend one another on an absolute level and have absolute trust in one another.

"The team in the unit is defined by the team members' total dependency on one another, a dependence in the truest sense of the word," says Dichter. "The unit is where the saying 'A chain is only as strong as its weakest link' applies in its most classic sense. A single team member ultimately determines whether an operation fails, and he or she may be the one that saves the day. Pinchas Buchris, a brigadier-general in the reserves who was commander of Unit 8200 that deals with SIGINT collection and the Defense Ministry's director-general, single high-handedly snatched victory out of the jaw of defeat in one particular mission, which is classified, of course. To give you an example of what is means to be a team in the unit, let's say I enter a room in the barracks where four guys sleep, and there is a sock on the floor, in the center of the room. I grab the sock and sniff, then I say, 'Farhi, that's yours.'"

Alongside the efforts to foster team work, the training is very demanding. Not everyone can plough through.

"The first year was very difficult for me," says Dichter. "When I arrived at the unit it immediately dawned on me that I was less prepared than the rest. The kibbutzniks had already met one another, so had the Jersualemites; I was different. I did not come from a major city, I was not a pilot course drop-out and I was not in shape; for example, I did not make it in the 120 kilometer march and was forced to do it all over again with a younger team; I remember how they carried me from the [Suez] canal to the [Jordan] Valley on a Leyland truck so that I could begin the trip from square one."

"I was not sure I would stay," Dichter admits. "It took some time before I was on sound footing. The fact that I had good navigation skills and that I was a night owl helped, and as the training progressed I became more fit. Later, when we were engaged in fighting, I was in charge of the belt-fed machine gun. At that point I had already realized things were okay."

Shor also recalls the difficulties in training.

"They teach you how to set your sights on the highest peak and then conquer it; they tell you that the future of the state rests on the success of your mission, they say that at almost every step of the way. This is largely true. The unit's fighters have received dozens of covert citations, and this makes people develop a sense of superiority. A soldier in the unit gets exposed to the most senior ranking officers in the military once he completes his training; the director of military intelligence attends exercises on a routine basis; the chief of general staff also attends a few each year, as does the minister of defense. Even the prime minister arrives occasionally. There is no way this does not impact 18-year-old boys. To a large extent, the shortcomings that Ehud Barak and others have in their personal behavior, such as hubris and arrogance, can be traced back to what they did as young soldiers."

Ehud Barak as a formative figure

"I disagree with his behavior today, and I think he has hurt the army's moral infrastructure, but his contribution to the unit and to the IDF is spectacular," says Shor. "I have never seen anyone else who matched his leadership skills and levelheadedness. We were with him in very trying situations, which could have escalated into a full-fledged war, but he managed to come out unscathed. He has an intuitive capacity to emerge victorious out of an apparent train wreck. For us, anywhere he set foot became hallowed ground.

"I was carrying his radio equipment in our first operation in the canal," Shor recalls. "We were flown by helicopters and everything went wrong. Everyone in military intelligence had been involved in the planning of the operation over a period of several years but it all rested on the narrow shoulders of Ehud Barak, who was merely 23. And he triumphed, through his capacity to take control of the situation, to improvise and to keep his cool; the operation he presided over was among the most important and the most sophisticated at the time. I still cannot quite understand how he pulled it off."

"I will give you another example," Shor continues. "After Uri Ilan was captured by the Syrians in 1954 (and later committed suicide in his prison cell), then Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion ordered that no operation take place behind enemy lines; with the exception of the Sinai campaign in 1956 [during the Suez crisis] this directive was followed; then came Avraham Arnan, who created the unit, and in 1960 it conducted its first cross-border raid, in Syria.

"As part of the mission, a force was to arrive at a certain point at night; it was instructed to abort the mission if it failed to make it on time. Things got complicated and it was still far from its destination at the designated time. The minister of defense, the chief of general staff and the director of military intelligence were all listening to the radio as they bit their nails. So what does Barak do? He turns off his communication device. Everyone is certain that this is Uri Ilan all over again. At 5 a.m. Barak sends a dispatch: 'The force made it to its destination, it did what had to be done.' He simply did not want to listen to all of their [his superiors'] senseless chatter."

What kind of commanders were the Netanyahu brothers Yoni and Benjamin?

"Yoni [who died in Operation Thunderbolt in 1976 in the IDF raid at Entebbe, Uganda to free Israeli passengers of a hijacked plane] was a tough guy, and we were too young," says Dichter. "During his tenure at the helm of the unit he had to deal with a great deal of criticism. Overall, the unit nurtures high quality, opinionated individuals.

"Not everyone was sent to officers training, but it does not mean they were less qualified than you were," Dichter explains. "There was no such thing as ducking something difficult in the unit; the after-action review was always true to the facts and no words were minced.

"Yoni was the star of the unit. Avraham Arnan, who was involved in selecting the officers even after he had retired, truly loved him. Yoni was like a classic military prince, good looking and eloquent. As soldiers, we couldn't quite crack his code, so we had less of a bond with him. Bibi [Benjamin Netanyahu] joined the unit even before Yoni. He was just an ordinary soldier, he was the one who suggested Yoni's transfer to the unit from the Paratroopers Brigade. Bibi exhibited something that is very rare: He was very qualified on a professional level and the people under him performed really well, but he was also very popular with his subordinates; those traits usually don't go together, but Bibi managed to pull it off."

What? Aren't you dead?

You describe the Yom Kippur War as a fault line, I tell Shor.

"Yes, this was a seminal event that defined our generation," he says. "It's one of those events that makes you realize that you are no longer the same person once its over. We had all sworn that the [events leading up to] the Six-Day War would not happen again, but then we witnessed how history just repeated itself. It was clear that there was no other way but to make peace; the contours of the peace agreement were there, but Golda [Meir, the prime minister between 1969 to 1974), said no. That is why 3,000 soldiers were killed; only then was the agreement [with Egypt] signed. I fear that this will happen all over again with the Palestinians.

"I am still recovering from that war," Shor continues. "Before that war, we had a sense of security, we felt that we could finally rest. And then on Friday night, Oct. 5 [a day before the Yom Kippur War], we were sent home. And we were the team that had logged the most hours in the IDF's most elite unit, which was probably the best intelligence unit in the world. This, 18 hours before the war broke out! This was a grave mistake."

Avi Dichter recalls the sense of frustration over how the war unfolded.

"Between the wars the unit operates independently, it has no overlap with other units. But when there is war, things are exactly the opposite. You have to work together with the other forces, we are just too small. That is why in the Six-Day War and in the Yom Kippur War the unit basically had to try and play catch up with the war. When the war broke out on Saturday the unit went up to the Golan Heights and because of the enthusiasm it asked for a special mission: to destroy an array of Syrian tanks.

"Yossi Peled [a major-general in the reserves and later a cabinet minister] still believes that he saved my life on that day. He told me later, 'There were 100 tanks there; what could you do? Suppose you had destroyed 80 tanks, you would have still been turned into dust. I showed you guys the door, I would have none of it.'

"After the IDF crossed the [Suez] canal, I arrived at Fayid [an Egyptian airfield] with a paratrooper contingent to prepare it for our aircraft. While I was clearing the booby traps that had been placed on the runway, Amitai Nachmani [one of the team leaders in Operation Spring of Youth], Cheetah, and Amiram Levin took my jeep. An Egyptian force near the field hit it with an RPG. Amitai was killed, Cheeta lost his hearing and Amiram was badly injured.

"Because it was my jeep, rumor had it that I had been killed. As a result, I was often greeted with, 'What, aren't you dead?'"

I'm an Israeli Soldier

AIPAC Policy Conf. 2013: Izzy Ezagui - the Armless Combat Soldier

One of the participants at this year’s AIPAC policy conference was Izzy Ezagui, a 24-year-old combat reserves officer.

Ezagui lost his arm in a mortar shell explosion but continues to serve as a reservist in special forces for the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade.

“I go back every year and continue to serve as best as I can,” Ezagui told Arutz Sheva. “I want to go back to Israel. I love both Israel and America, but my plan, G-d willing, is to move back to Israel and raise a family there.”
Ezagui is a motivational speaker who tells his personal story to different audiences.
“I share my message with the people, in the hopes that it will inspire them to do anything that their heart desires,” he said.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)

My name is Barak Lynn. I am 24 years old and a soldier in the IDF.

I was born in Israel and moved to the United States at 12 years old. I always wanted to be a soldier in the Israeli military. I can’t say that I feel like a volunteer because for me it’s an obligation, not a matter of choice. When I was 17, both of my parents thought since I had the opportunity to get a college education, I should not give it up. However, the thought of joining the military stuck.

When I reached my final year of college, I decided that I would not give up on my duty as a proud Israeli and Jew. I would move to Israel and join the IDF. When deciding which unit I wanted to join, I took advice from some of my father’s friends. I remember sitting down with a guy who started his career in the Golani Brigade. He asked me, “What is the reason that you want to join?” I answered, “To work hard and help defend my country.” He told me it’s Golani or nothing. 

Golani is the first combat brigade the military put together. It’s probably the most famous brigade since it fought in every single war and battle Israel has ever been in. I am proud to say I got accepted into one of the two commando units in Golani, called Sayeret Golani. The training is rough and longer than the regular eight month training. It’s a year and four months. We specialize in counter terrorism throughout the country. I am one of three commanders in my unit and am in the process of completing commanders' course. 

Life in the military is amazing. It teaches you a lot about yourself and brings out mental powers that you never thought you had. The friendships are everlasting. After sleeping in the same tent you eventually learn everything about your brothers, from knowing what they like to eat to their most personal thoughts and feelings. There is a famous saying, “I would take a bullet for you.” In this case, that is what you are trained to do. 

I am happy to say that I am not the only Lone Soldier in my unit. I am one of three Americans who decided to join and there are many more throughout the brigades. It is an honor to serve in the IDF and to have the opportunity to stand up here and talk about my experience. I can honestly say I would not change my decision because now I feel complete.

Thank you FIDF. You gave me the opportunity to come here. And thank you to all of you who help support us and thank you to my amazing family and friends, who have supported me throughout this process.