December 2010

Pictures of the Month

Operations Room
• T
‫ ‏‬he Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi sums up the state
of the Israel Gaza Border as very delicate –“ We are witnessing lately a
sharp rise in the number of explosives deployed and detonated on the
border”. READ MORE
• O
‫ ‏‬nce more, when the call for aid is there, distance of no consequence!
The IDF has sent a Humanitarian delegation to weather stricken Colombia,
including 50 tons of equipment of which 20 tons of dried foods, thousands
of blankets, 100 tents, and 5,000 medical kits. READ MORE
• P
‫ ‏‬reliminary investigation asseses that an IDF soldier was moderately
wounded probably from friendly fire, as a result of yet another attempt at
violating the border between Gaza and Israel. This was one of over 100
such violent events that have taken place during 2010. READ MORE

Personal Meeting
• Throughout the disastrous Carmel fire, Lt. Col. Hatim Huseisi,
Engineering Corps officer and life-long resident of northern Israel,
found himself fighting not just because it was the army's mission
but because the mission was over his home. READ MORE

Challenges of the Moment

Motivation and Recruitment trends in 2010
• The IDF has seen an impressive rise in the motivation to join combat
units over the past 2 years. The recent November 2010 callup
continues to indicate this encouraging trend, mostly the result of
effective preparation programs towards enlisting, as well as particular
programs for youth. At 2010 the Motivation Index stands at 74.2%
of enlisted youth, a rise of 8%. The IDF continues its programs for
encouraging enlisting among communities with particular needs,
and we are witnessing an increase among Olim(New Immigrants),
Haredim (Ultra Religious) and Minorities. READ MORE

On the Agenda
• A first NBC (Nuclear Biological and Chemical) battalion has been set
up in the IDF. The new battalion will handle all matters related with
defensive measures to be taken against unconventional warfare. The
setting up of this battalion happens in an era when Unconventional
Warfare is part of the daily narrative, and the acute importance the IDF
attaches to this issue. READ MORE
• T
‫ ‏‬he commanders of the IDF NBC Headquarters believe it is absolutely
critical to be capable of handling the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical
threats, especially in a country circled by enemies with the capacity to
deploy such weapons. READ MORE

IDF Events
• T
‫ ‏‬he Lone Soldier Center celebrated America’s Thanksgiving
holiday with dozens of American lone soldiers. With turkey, a
football game and pie, it seemed as though for one night America
came to Tel Aviv. READ MORE
• T
‫ ‏‬he Head of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria
has visited the Heads of thevarious Churches in Jerusalem to
bring them Season’s Greetings for the forthcoming Christmas
celebrations.. READ MORE
• The result of a mere phone call! One Nahal Brigade(Combat
Pioneering Youth)Commander calls his peer, another Nahal
Brigade Commander - the result - 800 Volunteer soldiers are
deployed almost instantly on the burning Carmel Mountain range
during the recent deadly blaze that enveloped this special piece of
Israeli landscape! READ MORE
• A
‫ ‏‬joint air drill of the Italian and Israeli Air Forces has taken place
recently in Israel. Italian Tornado jets alongside Israeli aircraft of
the “Flyiang Dragon” squadron, gathered at the Ouvda Air Base
and took part in joint training flights. READ MORE

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"The Gaza Strip border is delicate"

Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi spoke with soldiers from the Paratroopers' Brigade and estimated that,
"Conflict around the fence will continue and we must be prepared because that’s what will ultimately
decide the outcome of the battle".

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi

Ashkenazi, spoke to soldiers of the Tzefa
battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade Dec. 8.
According to the Chief of Staff, "The current
state of the Gaza Strip border is delicate. We
are seeing acute deterioration in security and
many explosive devices have been discovered
at the border. Anti-Israel activity has been
increasing on the northern border as well."

Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi said more operations near

the border would take place in the near future.
"There will be more problems, it’s inevitable. Conflict around the fence will continue and we must
be prepared because that’s what will ultimately decide the outcome of the battle. We might be
forced to operate on a wider scale. The next round of fighting will be bigger and the winner must
be irrefutable. We must significantly overcome the enemy."

Just on Nov. 29, suspects opened fire toward IDF forces near the fence at the central Gaza Strip.
There were no injuries on the IDF side, but some damage was done to an armored vehicle. A
week earlier, IDF forces shot toward several suspects who approached the fence in the northern
Gaza Strip after the latter refused to disperse. The soldiers were forced to shoot at the suspects’
lower bodies and a hit was identified.

A few weeks ago, the IDF carried out warning shots at suspects approaching the fence in the
northern Gaza Strip. The forces arrived at the scene in order to disperse the suspects, and after
they refused to vacate IDF forces were forced to shoot at their lower bodies. Again, a direct hit
was identified. 
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The IDF Sends Humanitarian Aid Delegation to Colombia

The IDF and the Israel Ministry of Defense sent a humanitarian aid delegation to provide medical
care and services to victims of floods and mudslides in Colombia.

On Dec. 12, the IDF and the Israel Ministry of

Defense sent a humanitarian aid delegation to
provide medical care and services to victims
of the intense floods and mudslides having
recently struck Colombia. As of Dec. 11, it
was estimated that as many as 50 houses
were buried in the mudslide and as many as
40 people trapped inside.

The delegation includes seven officers from

the Home Front Command and carries
approximately 50 tons of equipment including
20 tons of dry food, five thousand medical kits, two thousand blankets, one thousand ponchos,
one thousand mattresses and one hundred tents.

According to Commander of Home Front Command's National Search and Rescue Unit, Brig. Gen.
(res.) Shalom Ben-Arye, "T he IDF instructed the Home Front Command to send a humanitarian
aid delegation to the Colombian flood victims. We are to land in Colombia, distribute the aid
equipment and return only once our mission is complete."

Deputy General Manager of the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Bezalel Treiber said, "Over the past two
days we’ve rapidly assembled necessities of approximately 50 tons of equipment. The delegation
will now set out for Colombia. I wish to thank the delegation staff, the Home Front Command and
the Ministry of Defense and wish them luck on their mission."

The last big IDF aid mission was sent to Haiti when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the Richter
scale struck the country in early 2010. Israel was among the first to offer assistance and the first
country to establish a field hospital with operating and delivery rooms. Altogether, as many as
1,200 patients were treated by 220 personnel members.
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IDF Soldier Moderately Wounded in Gaza Strip Incident

An IDF soldier was wounded in an exchange of fire near the security fence at the central
Gaza Strip. One of approximately 100 terror-related incidents in 2010. 

 An IDF soldier was moderately wounded

during an exchange of fire near the security
fence in the central Gaza Strip. The soldier
was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital
for further treatment.

Terrorist operatives often hover near the

security fence in attempt to harm IDF
soldiers, leaving explosive devices in the
area, shooting at soldiers, etc.

Earlier on Saturday evening (Dec. 11), IDF soldiers identified two suspects near the security
fence in the central Gaza Strip. The force fired toward the suspects who were killed as a
result. During later searches at the scene, shots were fired at the force, apparently resulting
in the injury of one of the soldiers. An additional fire exchange took place in the area a short
time later but resulted in no casualties or injuries among IDF soldiers. The incident is currently
being investigated.

Approximately 100 terror-related incidents have taken place near the security fence
surrounding the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2010, an average of one incident every
three days.

The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for maintaining the calm
in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it. The IDF will also continue
to respond harshly to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel.
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"This was Fighting for Our Home"

Throughout the disastrous Carmel fire, Lt. Col. Hatim Huseisi, Engineering Corps officer and life-
long resident of northern Israel, found himself fighting not just because it was the army's mission
but because the mission was over his home. 

Lt. Col. Hitam Huseisi is a veteran officer in the IDF’s Central

Command (responsible for the central region of the country
including the Judea and Samaria region), and a veteran
resident of the North. An officer from Daliyat al-Karmel, he’s
been part of the Engineering Corps of the Judea and Samaria
Division for the past 14 years, today being one of the Corps’
heads in the division. During the disastrous Carmel fire, his
position and personal life merged. Instead of commanding
the Engineering Corps’ operational activities in the Judea
and Samaria region, he brought the Corps’ giant machinery,
which fought the flames, close to home.

When he first got the message about the fire, he was in the center of the country as usual. The
family was home as usual. “I was in a meeting, and I got a text that there is a fire in the Carmel. I
thought, ‘another fire, nothing special.’ I finished the meeting and started driving north. As I drove I
realized that the situation was much worse.”

By the time he reached the Carmel, the way to the village was already blocked off. So, instead, he
drove to the University of Haifa to meet with firefighters. “At that point no control unit or organization
had even begun. We started assembling the main control room. Half an hour later everyone was
already there - the Prime Minister, Ministers. The situation did not look good. We got the message
about those killed on the bus. We sat and thought about what we could do. There was an overriding
feeling of uncertainty. At a certain point, I understood salvation would not come from this meeting
in the Home Front. I went out to field with my car.”

When he arrived, “We went out to see what it looked like with our own eyes. What’s called being
at the frontline. What we saw was a real threat to people’s safety. We stopped. I asked who the
commander was in the area. They said X and I asked him what do you need? We were familiar with
the heavy equipment he needed and we started working.”

Fighting the Carmel battle

The Engineering Corps’ forces from Central Command were the main ones on field, but not the
only ones. Along with them were heavy (construction) equipment companies, Battalion 601 of the
Engineering Corps and Engineering Corps officers of the Northern Command joined the effort as
well.

“They worked with us, commanded with us,” said Lt. Col. Huseisi. “The Engineering forces and
Engineering headquarters of the commands worked hand in hand. One of the beautiful things in
the Corps is that everyone knows everyone. Sometimes people meet at conferences, sometimes
at wars and sometimes at fires. Each time you talk with the others and learn exactly who they are,
what their background is and what their abilities are. We have a common language and everyone
knows what is possible and appropriate.”  
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Lt. Col. Huseisi says that in the Carmel disaster, “We came with the attitude that we are all firefighters.
They said what they wanted and we planned out the how. We trusted them. We understood that they
knew what was the right thing to do to stop the fire. I met impressive people there. The fire trucks did
amazing work without thinking twice. They risked their lives in every sense of the word. No one deserted
the area until there was no other option.”

Saving wild-life, saving themselves

The Engineering forces had three main missions. “The first mission was to open pathways. Every place
the fire trucks couldn’t pass through, we paved the way. Our second mission was to create what was
called ‘fire lines’. That was critical activity, a first act – we cut down trees at strategic points in the forest
to prevent the spread of fire. The final mission, during times of emergency, was to stop the fire. How did
we do this? We got right in with the machinery.”

The forces worked in the wild-life reserves, the Carmel Forest Resort, right next to Nir Etzion and Ein
Hod, Megadim, Ussefiya and Dahlia. Nine Caterpillar D9 tractors and five loaders (sometimes used in
construction) covered most of the hill. Two of the main battles, according to Lt. Col. Huseisi, were over
the wild-life reserve and the Carmel forests.

“When we fought over the wild-life reserves the wind come from the West and the fire spread toward
the university. At a certain point the fire trucks ran out of water. They didn’t have a choice but to leave
altogether to fill up their containers and get more backup. We understood we were alone. We reached
a clear decision – we have to put out the fire, no matter what. We uprooted trees and earth, we went
directly into the fire. In the early hours of the morning we were able to create a barrier. The fire stopped.
With the sunrise planes arrived and succeeded in putting it out on the other side.

“In the Carmel forests we uprooted all the trees within a 200-meter radius and created a ring. There, the
fire started closing in on us. The way we came from was blocked off. Speaking with the headquarters
we coordinated planes that would try to stop the fire. They arrived and tried to help, but it was clear the
fire was too strong. So we barely made it out through a route that wasn’t really a route, it was an escape
route. We were almost made to leave the equipment behind. Looking back, it was worth the risk. The ring
saved the hotel.”

"This was fighting for our home"

Lt. Col. Huseisi was born and raised in Daliyat al-Karmel (northern Israel). His wife was born and raised
in Ussefiya (northern Israel). “We considered leaving more than once,” he admits. “Most of our lives our
friends lived in the center of the country, and outings were in the center of the country and work was in
the center of the country. The command was Central Command. But the culture that gets soaked in here
is ours. The pastoral nature of the area, the air, the sites – these were things we weren’t willing to give
up on.”

Thus, in the days of the fire, despite communities of people from the North evacuating their houses, his
and her families stayed home. "As far as I'm concerned," he says decisively, "This was fighting for our
home. In the army they teach us that when you are on a mission, you don't think about anything other
than the mission and that's how I thought all those years. But when you're on a mission from the army
and you see your house at the battlefront, it's inevitable that the feeling is different."

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But that feeling is one of the best kinds. "Sacrifice does not distract you, it only makes your senses
sharper," he says. "There was a certain point, on Saturday night, when the fire reached just a few
kilometers from my house. I drove their with the equipment just under my house and could really see
it. For a second there was a real fear that we wouldn't be able to stop the progress. We won thanks to
excellent cooperation and teamwork and thanks to a change in the wind."

Planning for the future

"You have to learn from every event," he concludes. "I learned a lot from this event. How a force jumps
right into action and a mission, how to work together with civilian forces. You could write a whole chapter
about each of these. The experience itself, as a professional experience, was important to us. It was an
unobstructed contributor to our reslience."

But the experience garnered isn't always enough. "The system doesn't really learn," he says as a reminder.
"Those who learn are the people. And in the army people come and go quickly, and the knowledge and
professionalism go with them. It's a natural process. If in four years there will be another fire in the Carmel,
I'm not sure they would implement all the lessons learned. That's why the rules and regulations are so
important. It's important to plan things. It's not something that happens quickly but if those in charge will
think deeply, and I'm sure they will, we'll create a solution for the long term."
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Induction Trends and Motivation in 2010

An 8% growth in the motivation to serve in combat roles amongst inductees
During the last 2 years a significant increase was recorded in the motivation to serve in
combat roles. The recruitment cohort of November 2 010 that recently concluded, represents
a continuation of this trend.

Over the years 2007 -- 2008 the proportion of those seeking to serve in combat roles totaled
66-67% out of the potential reservoir, when currently in 2010 the motivation index totals
the rate of 74.2% (a rise of about 8%).

This trend can be attributed to a long series of activities performed by various bodies and
in sundry areas. Inter alia we can note programs for preparing inductees and activities
amongst adolescents in collaboration with educational bodies such as workshops in the
schools, the Derech Erech project, A Day in the Footsteps of the Fighters, activities to foster
ties with those slated for service that are performed by the combat forces, expanding the
Gadna paramilitary youth corps and focusing on encouraging meaningful service way with an
emphasis on the combat professions. All this resulted in forging a continuous and accessible
connection with the inductee, increasing his involvement in the classification process and
raising his readiness for IDF service. As a result one can distinguish a trend of increased
motivation amongst inductees to serve in combat roles.

Desire for combat out of available potential (2003-2010)

In the recent November induction, all those intended for combat roles were assigned (100%)
to one of their first three preferences -- this in contradistinction to a rate of only 82% in the
March 2009 induction. Furthermore, 72.5% of those assigned were assigned to the first
preference that they marked on the preference questionnaire.

Stimulating Recruitment -- Promoting and Integrating Diverse Populations

The IDF continues to promote programs for stimulating recruitment amongst diverse
populations, given the natural decline in annual induction cohorts, and endeavors to fully tap
those enlisting for meaningful service.

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Integrating the Haredim (Ultraorthodox) in the IDF

As part of a joint program of the IDF and the government ministries intended to enlarge and
expand IDF recruitment reservoirs and facilitate the integration of the Haredim in the Israeli
economy, 2 major programs are operating to integrate the Haredim into the IDF.
There is the Shahar (Haredi Integration ) framework and recruitment to the Haredi Nezach
Yehuda Nahal Brigade. These programs guarantee the inductees that alongside their
military service and contribution to the state's security they will be able to maintain the
distinct lifestyle for the Haredi soldier during their military service. From 2007 there has
been a growth of 285% in recruitment for the Haredi Integration program and additionally we
can witness a rise of 21% in recruitment to the Haredi Nahal Brigade.

The Integration of New Immigrants in the IDF

The integration of immigrants is an issue of major importance for their acclimatization in
Israel their attraction to Israeli culture and for enhancing the strength of the IDF from
a numerical and qualitative standpoint. Over the years the IDF has absorbed many of the
new immigrants into its ranks, integrated them into the various units, worked to impart the
Hebrew languages in the military Hebrew language total immersion schools and increased
their familiarity with Israeli state and society, while teaching Jewish and Israeli tradition and
history.

The IDF investment in integrating the new immigrant population, together with their
high personal level and commitment, led to their successful absorption in the various
units and jobs in the IDF. With the passage of years, we witness ever-increasing examples
of new immigrant success in military service, with a significant increase in the induction rates
amongst this population. Currently one out of every 5 IDF soldiers is defined as a new
immigrant (in other words born outside of Israel).

Between the years 2007 2009 a 35% increase occurred in those enlisting for the Mahal
Program (volunteers from outside Israel), and a rise of 53% in recruitment to the programs
of the Zabar Nucleus that fosters the recruitment of American new immigrants

Integrating Minorities within the IDF

The IDF invests many efforts and resources to provide a unique response to the various
minority populations. It is important to note that members of the Druze community and the
Circassian community are legally draft eligible since 1956. The induction rate for members of
the Druze community totals 82.5% and amongst the Druze inductees, 57% serve in combat
roles.

Amongst the volunteer minorities -- the Bedouins, Muslims and Christians-- a clear upward
trend is discernible. From 2007 to 2009 there was an increase of 117% in the number of
minority soldiers volunteering to the IDF, who served in all roles in the IDF.

The IDF continues to contend for every single inductee in order to fully tap the service
potential, exploit manpower and expand recruitment reservoirs. This is a security necessity,
but it also rests upon the concept of the IDF as a popular army mandating an equal share of
the security burden.
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The IDF’s First Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Battalion

The IDF inaugurated its first NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) battalion on Tuesday (Dec.
12) in an era nuclear warfare is making weekly headlines.
 
The IDF’s first NBC (nuclear, biological,
chemical) Defense Battalion was officially
established on Tuesday (Dec. 12). The
battalion was created out of the previous
"Yanshuf" unit, which specialized in NBC
warfare and has been around for many
years. It will now be officially recognized
as a regular combat battalion.

The battalion’s inauguration ceremony

took place during the course of its first
regimented drill, which took place the week
of Tuesday (Dec. 12). As part of the drill, companies practiced finding chemical substances in
both urban and rural area, even working with elite unit from the Combat Engineering Corps,
Yahalom.

Commander of Army Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman, wished the soldiers happy
tidings for two reasons - both for the inauguration of the battalion and for Hanukkah. "We're
located in the southern Golan Heights, not far from us the Syrians are diligently developing
warring capabilities we must prepare for," said Maj. Gen. Turgeman. "Our job is not to prepare
for conventional occurrences, but rather to prepare for the extreme event, and the ‘Yanshuf’
Battalion is the spearhead for this defense. You have been given great responsibility. A very
professional unit with great combat spirit is being developed here."

Head of the military's NBC Center, Col.

Ari Hoze, has dreamed of this moment for
many years. "There is one official NBC
battalion serving as a compass for the rest
of the army and now our responsibility is to
prove ourselves. In 2009, we completed a
two-year period of continuous operational
activity in the southern border. Due to
our unique steadfastness, the battalion
withstood professional challenges and
sustained a high moral."

Col. Hoze spoke about changes made over the past year as a result of the unit becoming a
battalion. "Efforts to extend the NBC combat’s course began, company commanders now go
through a course with the rest of the infantry units. All this thanks to the GOC Army Headquarters’
recognition of the unit and its importance."

Lt. Col. Ofir Ben David, "Yanshuf" Battalion commander, could not conceal his excitement.
"We, the commanders and fighters of the unit, were given the opportunity to be part of this
innovative process, during which we are designing the battalion's genetic code. Being a pioneer
is not only a privilege but also a big responsibility, especially since we are the only regular
army NBC battalion responsible for preparing all NBC arrangements in the ground forces."  
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The ABCs of NBC

The IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps has begun a new initiative to train future IDF company
commanders in how to confront nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.

When IDF soldiers hear about NBC (nuclear,

biological, and chemical weaponry), they
are immediately taken back to basic training
during which they learned about different
types of weapons' threats and practiced
putting on gas masks. One particular
experience which has been burned into
their memories, and on that occasion their
eyes, is that of spending hours in the NBC
training tent with tear gas in the air. The
NBC Center of the Combat Engineering
Corps, which trains all of the units of the
IDF in handling these weapons' threats, has been raising awareness about them over the
past year through numerous methods including seminar days where commanders are given
special training in how to confront weapons' threats and how to pass this knowledge on to
their soldiers.

This week, approximately 100 future company commanders from commander training courses
throughout the IDF arrived at the NBC Center. They'll return to their units after learning about
various weapons' threats Israel is facing. One of the course’s commanders told them NBC
is essential when learning the range of threats that an IDF company commander must face,
and that the purpose of their training is to
pass on as much knowledge as possible
to the next commander in line who'll
then be prepared to act in the event of a
nuclear, biological or chemical attack. The
commanders participated in a number of
theoretical classes about self defense
against and confrontation with chemical
and biological warfare. They also learned
about different means of detecting and
identifying the weapons and about how
to protect their soldiers and their armored
vehicles.

After class, the commanders were sent out to the field where different stations were awaiting
them. The first station taught the commanders how to purify their soldiers after contact
with chemical weapons. The second station displayed different types of nuclear, biological
and chemical weapons, including some new IDF innovations. The final station taught the
commanders how to teach their soldiers all of their newly-gained knowledge.

“Until now I had basic knowledge about NBC weapons, from posters and from classes I had
during my basic training,” Cpt. Gilad Pasternack, future company commander for new recruits
to the Nahal Brigade, said.

“Today I heard many things for the first time. We learned about chemical and biological
threats and how to prioritize these threats during training.” He said that NBC weapons class
is always thought of as an imposition during training, whether that is due to its cumbersome
and unpleasant nature, or due to the perception that the threat is not relevant. “NBC weapons
threats seem negligible, but it is obvious that this is not so. We need to know how to fight in
the event that these threats will become actualized.”
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IDF Lone Soldiers: The New Pilgrims

The Lone Soldier Center celebrated America’s Thanksgiving holiday with dozens of American lone soldiers
on Thursday (Nov. 25). With turkey, a football game and pie, it seemed as though for one night America
came to Tel Aviv.

"I wanted to do something intense, something I can

look back on during rough times," says Sam Kronfield,
about to join the IDF’s Nahal combat Brigade, smiling
bashfully. 

The Lone Soldier Center is an organization dedicated

to providing services and support to IDF lone soldiers,
or volunteer soldiers whose families live abroad.
On Thursday (Nov. 25), The Lone Soldier Center
celebrated Thanksgiving with American lone soldiers
living in the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa areas on
Thursday (Nov. 25).

"The Lone Soldier Center is mostly volunteers who, while in the army, were lone soldiers as well," says
Nessim, an active member of the Lone Soldier Center in Jerusalem. 

"I served in the Nahal Brigade and I was a lone soldier as well. Of course there were money problems
and being a combat soldier is tough. But I think that the most difficult thing about being a lone soldier is
not having a shoulder to cry on or getting a hug when I needed it. That's what this center is about, we
help lone soldiers with things from housing and financial aid to counseling."

"Although my family is not here, these people have become my family"

As the annual Thanksgiving football game plays on the screen, this IDF Website reporter, a lone soldier
from Rockland, Maryland, noted the young soldiers laughing and mingling with each other on a rooftop
in Tel Aviv overlooking the whole city, feelings of happiness and sadness spreading.
 
"I am not a lone soldier," says Corp. Roxanne Fogelman, a lone soldier from Ashland, Oregon, who
currently lives with an adoptive family in Moshav Ge'alya (a village in central Israel). "Although my family
is not here, these people have become my family," she says with a satisfied smile as she looks around
at the joyful soldiers. "This is where I belong."

Dimitri Salitra, born in Russia and having served in the

Givati combat Brigade, explained, "When I was in the
army, lone soldiers didn't get the proper care they needed
but now I see how much commanders appreciate and
understand the difficulties of being a lone soldier." 

Dimitri has been out of the army for four years and
still comes to events sponsored by the Lone Soldiers
Center. He is currently studying ecology in Rehovot (a
city in central Israel). "When I was in the army, I lived on
a kibbutz in the North and my housing was subsidized
by the army. Now, soldiers have a variety of options.
And of course the center for lone soldiers - they do so much for soldiers, they help in every way possible."

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"We want you to know that we care"

"Thank you all for joining us in celebrating Thanksgiving," says Josh from the Lone Soldier Center. "This
is the center's second Thanksgiving meal and we are grateful that you can all be here and celebrate.
We want you all to know that we care and it's important for us to help each and every lone soldier."

As the caterers carry out two massive plates of turkey, rice, mashed potatoes, salads, cranberry
sauce and even American style pies, this reporter felt right at home but with a new family. Webster's
dictionary defines pilgrim as “one who journeys in foreign lands”.  Tonight, lone soldiers of the IDF are
the pilgrims.

"Don't you miss your home?" I asked Corp. Fogelman.

"This was the best choice I've ever made," she says confidently. "I want the rest of my life to be in the
army. I am motivated to help people and they are so gracious I am here. I'm so happy I joined the IDF.
If I were still home, I would be staring at a textbook, wondering what am I doing with my life. And now
I serve as a medic in the Nahal Brigade," she says proudly. 
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Head of the Israeli Civil Administration Wishes a Merry Christmas

Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz visited church heads in Jerusalem and wished Christians a merry Christmas.

Head of the Israeli Civil Administration, Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz, visited church leaders in Jerusalem and
wished local Christians a merry Christmas on Monday (Dec. 6).

Brig. Gen. Almoz visited the Vatican's nuncio in Israel, Archbishop Antonio Franco, Head of the Franciscan
Custody in the Holy Land, Father Pierre Batista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, the Greek
Orthodox Patriarch Theopilos III and the Armenian Patriarch Torkom Manoogian at their residences.

The Head of the Israeli Civil Administration visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher accompanied by
members of the Orthodox Church who taught him about its foundations.

During the visits, Brig. Gen. Almoz wished the Christians merry Christmas and updated them on alleviated
restrictions leaving and entering the Judea and Samaria region, specifically Bethlehem. Brig. Gen. Almoz
explained the security situation during the Christmas holiday, ensuring freedom of worship and religion in
the best way possible according to the security assessment.
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Infantry Soldiers Begin to Rebuild the Carmel

Hundreds of infantry soldiers from the IDF’s Nachal Brigade spent Thursday (Dec. 23) cleaning and
rebuilding walking paths in the areas of the destroyed Carmel forest.

As many as 1,000 soldiers from the IDF’s Nachal infantry Brigade helped clear and rebuild various
walking paths, paint signs and more on Thursday (Dec. 23), in the areas damaged by the Carmel fires.

On Thursday (Dec. 2), a blazing fire began spreading wildly through the Carmel Forest near Haifa (northern
Israel), annihilating over 750 acres and causing a bus carrying as many as 50 passengers to overturn,
allegedly after the driver lost control of the vehicle because of the fire and surrounding smoke as it drove
between kibbutz Beit Oren and Damon Prison. The tragedy resulted in 44 deaths.

Firefighting delegations from around the world rallied to help Israel stop the spread of fire including
planes and helicopters from Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Britain, Turkey, Russia, France, Italy, the US and
Switzerland.

The IDF, too, continually sent forces to assist in the fight including forces from the IAF, thousands of
soldiers, hundreds of vehicles, dozens of engineering machines and military firefighting vehicles. All
operated for days until the fire was finally put out on Sunday (Dec. 5).
 December 2010

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IAF and Italian Air Force Conclude Combined Exercise in Sardinia

The IAF and Italian Air Force finished a two-week long training exercise, strenghthehing cooperation
between the armies and using the IAF's Eitam aircraft in a foreign exercise for the first time. 

The Israel Air Force and the Italian Air Force concluded an extensive, two-week long exercise in Sardinia
on Nov. 26.
 
IAF squadrons The Twin-Tail Knights and The Spearhead F-15
from the Tel-Nof IAF base participated in the exercise, as well
as the Defenders Of The South and The Golden Eagle F-16
squadrons from the Nevatim IAF base.
 
It was the Eitam (G550) Air Traffic Control Aircraft’s first overseas
training exercise.
 
The Italian Air Force trained with several advanced aircrafts (for
example the Eurofighter Typhoon, AMX, Panavia Tornado and the F-16).
 
The exercise was conducted to keep IAF operational capabilities strong, train its aircrafts both in large,
unfamiliar airspaces and along with foreign aircrafts. 

These allow the IAF to learn from foreign air forces and to familiarize itself with the NATO military tactics
while strengthening ongoing cooperation with the Italian Air Force.
 
The exercise was conducted according to a pre-planned, yearly training schedule, part of the extensive
cooperation network between different IDF forces and other nations and militaries around the world.