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Home , Benny Gantz, Home Front Command, Manpower Directorate, Matan Vilnai, Orna Barbivai, Yair Golan

June 2011

Pictures of the Month Operations Room • The yearly drill of the Home Command – “Turning Point 5” - All of ’s emergency services join forces to simulate extreme conditions throughout the country. Two state-wide sirens were heard during the one day. READ MORE • A stabbing attack is subdued at an outpost near Qalqilya - The primary investigation reveals that a Palestinian, who ran towards IDF soldiers wielding a knife, was shot after having penetrated the area of the outpost, having refused to comply with the soldiers’ call to stop. He was severely wounded and was hospitalized. READ MORE • Home Command Forces assist at the Netanya explosion site. READ MORE • Two soldiers hurt during unrest in the Ramallah area - The soldiers were hurt as a result of a massive onslaught of stone and rock throwing by demonstrators during an illegal demonstration close to Dir Kudis. READ MORE • “Naksa” Summary: The IDF pushed back attempts to violate Israel’s Northern Border - Following these unusual events, the Chief of Staff paid a visit to the Ga’ash regional command in Northern Command, and instructed the forces to pursue preparedness for further mass attempts at trespassing the Frontier.READ MORE One on One • Over the past few years, drastic changes have been made in the reserve forces system including higher salary, different training and more. An interview with the Chief Reserve Forces Officer, Brigadier General Shuki Ben Anat. READ MORE

Challenges of the Moment • A review of attempts to run the Naval Blockade on the with military hardware - The IDF, and its Navy in particular, constantly invest efforts in intercepting these attempts, in coordination with other nations and armies. We are listing here a reminder of past interceptions thanks to preparedness, high awareness, precise intelligence and up-to-scratch combat readiness of the Navy, the IDF and other security establishments. READ MORE On the Agenda • How to send goods to the Gaza Strip - The IDF regularly transfers approximately 6,000 tons of goods into the Gaza Strip a day. Also, a guide to sending goods. READ MORE • CoGAT transfers 16,599 tons of goods to Gaza Strip - The IDF continues to facilitate the daily transfer of thousands of supplies to the Gaza Strip including gas, building materials and more. READ MORE IDF Events • Major General Barbivai appointed Head of the Human Resources Directorate - Major General was raised to her new rank and she is the first woman to hold this position. READ MORE • Major General Eisenberg is appointed Head of Home Command - During the ceremony the Chief of Staff noted: “during these explosive and sensitive times, the role of Home Command is made all the more complex.” READ MORE • All that you want to know about the newest group of IAF pilots. READ MORE • ‏The new IDF career soldiers profile has been approved – “The Professional Way” - The changes will assure excellence in command, alongside excellence in service conditions, thus guaranteeing the best commanders for the IDF of the 21st Century. READ MORE • Over 10,000 participate in the Ground Force running race - Taking place for the 4th time, this race is considered to be the second in size throughout Israel, and one of the largest military races worldwide. READ MORE IDF Spokesperson's Unit Public Affairs Branch Check us out at: SUBSCRIBE Contact Us to our mailing list June 2011

Back to Page 1 Nationwide "Turning Point 5" drill The national Home Front Command exercise "Turning Point 5″ began on Sunday (June 19) and lasted for five days.

The exercise included all emergency authorities, including the Home Front Command, the national Emergency Management Authority, local municipalities, government ministries, security forces, safety and rescue services, as well as the education and welfare systems.

The exercise provided an opportunity to prepare the public and various authorities for emergency scenarios, and was meant to improve the readiness of the home front during crises. It included testing siren systems and cellular networks; checking protected spaces; distributing individual protection kits and coordination between various emergency authorities.

Adherence to Home Front Command instructions has been proven to save lives in the past.

People at education institutions, military bases, government ministries and public institutions practiced entering protected spaces.

For the first time, over 80 local authorities across Israel participated in the exercise, along with the Home Front Command's liaison units to regional authorities.

The Home Front Command also activated the "Personal Message" project, testing a cellular alert system. The SMS text messages read "Exercise, exercise - have a good day from the Home Front Command".

All public services, including hospitals, functioned normally during the exercise. June 2011

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‏Stabbing attack thwarted in Qalqilya area A Palestinian attempted to stab an IDF soldier on Sunday afternoon (June 19) at a checkpoint near Qalqilya in the .

The Palestinian shouted "God is great" as he tried to stab the soldier. The soldier opened fire on the attacker. The attacker was hit by the gunfire and has been transported to a hospital to receive medical care.

The incident is being investigated.

A report recently released by the Israel Security Agency noted an increase in the number of terrorist attacks in the West Bank last month. In May, there were 44 attacks in the West Bank compared to 19 in April and there were 25 attacks in in May compared to 16 the previous month. June 2011

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IDF forces were among first to respond to Netanya gas blast "There was excellent cooperation with fire fighters and other rescue services," Colonel Yoram Lev-Ran said, speaking about the response to a gas explosion at a building in Netanya in which four people were killed and dozens injured.

Col. Lev-Ran, the head of the Home Front Command's school, led the Home Front Command forces that arrived at the scene of the deadly explosion. The forces worked to rescue trapped survivors. They operated in conjunction with police, fire services and Magen David Adom personnel.

"This event was similar to incidents that we practice for," Col. Lev-Ran noted. He said that Home Front Command personnel were the first to arrive at the scene to pull out trapped survivors.

The explosion occurred around 1:00 a.m. on Friday morning two weeks ago, in the area of Independence Square in central Netanya. The blast damaged several buildings in the area. June 2011

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IDF soldier injured in illegal riot An IDF soldier was injured and broke his leg when rocks were hurled at him during a violent and illegal riot that took place near Dir Kadis, north of Ramallah.

The rioters then progressed toward IDF soldiers, who felt their lives were in danger and thus fired in the air and called on the rioters to stop where they were. When their calls weren't heeded the forces opened fire in order to stop another injury from happening.

An additional soldier was lightly injured when rocks were hurled at him. All injured parties were taken to the hospital for further treatment. June 2011

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IDF prevents breach of Syria border A molotov cocktail thrown by Syrian demonstrators towards IDF forces on Sunday (June 5) caused a brushfire in Syrian territory, which led the explosion of four mines on the Syrian side of the Quneitra crossing in the .

IDF forces used riot dispersal means against demonstrators from Syria who tried undermine Israeli sovereignty and breach the international border in the Golan Heights region. After demonstrators ignored warnings not to approach the border, IDF soldiers were forced to open fire towards the legs of a number of demonstrators.

Demonstrators attempted to breach the border fence that had been strengthened in recently following the events of "Nakba Day".

The IDF will remain on high alert and respond with crowd dispersal means to prevent breaches of Israel's borders.

In the afternoon, the IDF allowed Red Cross personnel to enter the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border to evacuate a number of wounded Syrians. A ceasefire was declared, but it was then violated by a number of demonstrators who continued to attempt to breach the border fence.

Also, dozens of clashed with IDF forces near the Kalandia crossing north of Jerusalem. Palestinians attempted to cross the checkpoint while throwing rocks at security forces.

IDF Spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yoav (Poly) Mordechai, said: "The IDF's response is very focused. I'm happy that Lebanese army prevented demonstrators from approaching the border fence. We're seeing that despite everything there is a body in control of the situation. On the Syrian border in the Golan Heights, I regret to say we're seeing that the Syrian government and army are not in control of the situation. In fact, in the Majdal Shams area hundreds of protestors arrived at the fence in front of the security fence, rebuilt by the IDF this week. The situation is under control and the IDF is acting with determination to thwart any attempt to breach the border, while keeping lessons from recent events in mind."

Brig. Gen. Mordechai added that IDF forces called toward the demonstrators in Arabic telling them not to break through the border. "After that warning, the IDF responded to those who didn't heed the warning calls by opening fire into the air and later carried out precise fire directed by commanders in the front, in accordance with instructions given by the Chief of Staff. The first step is to fire towards the lower half of the body. Senior commanders of the Northern Command, including the division commander and battalion commanders, have the event under control." June 2011

Back to Page 1 How reserve forces learn to fight Again, feelings of frustration and bitterness about everything arose. The issue of food came up repeatedly, it puts things into perspective a little bit about our war here, about the giant and undefeatable IDF. The whole time I was thinking, what if this was a real war? Would we really shoot? Where would we get ammunition? That was another issue. We sat the whole time in buildings and didn't do anything. Where is the IDF that attacks? The initiator? And people start asking questions, why did I come here? How will the fact that I'm here help stop the rockets from falling and bring back the kidnapped?

(From a reserve soldier's online journal)

Brig. Gen. Shuki Ben Anat, Chief Reserve Forces Officer, began his position in a difficult period. That is two years before the Second War took place, a war in which reserve forces became stars and not because of operations. Headlines shouted repeatedly about lack pf professionalism, the grave lack of food and equipment, pictures showed furious combat soldiers who didn't receive what they deserved and moreover were made to put on a uniform yet still wait endlessly feeling their drafting and presence completely unnecessary. In January of 2008, newspaper headlines gave a written attack when findings of the Winograd Committee were published. Above all, one thing was clear, a massive change had to happen for reserves. With this knowledge, Brig. Gen. Ben Anat took office, and five years after the war he is representing a different system of reserve forces.

According to Brig. Gen. Ben Anat, the main problem with the system for reserve forces was not necessarily the lack of logistical equipment but more the preparedness with which combat soldiers entered war.

"The reserve forces system operated before the Second Lebanon War mostly by dealing with margins and not the heart of operational activities," he explains and thus paints a picture of the situation at the time. "The training was different and the activity people did routinely was different, much more guarding communities, check points, guarding jails where high security prisoners were and many days of . Operation was modeled differently, more on past wars. Training was modeled after conflict with the Egyptian army… but we made peace with them several years ago," explains Brig. Gen. Ben Anat cynically and adds that it's "hard to go from training by a certain model of exercises and suddenly you find yourself in a nature reserve in Lebanon. The surprise is three-fold and therefore preparedness for the system was not good enough."

Along with the problem of preparedness, an aspect which one could not and to this day occupies the radio waves of the IDF is the fact that the reserve forces were very short in supply.

"You cannot use reserve forces in huge masses for two reasons. You cannot take a reserve force and disconnect him from his routine, civilian life. 15 years ago, a combat soldier doing reserve duty would come for 60 days of reserve duty a year but it was taken for granted because most people did it. Today it's less to be taken for granted because life has changed and not everyone volunteers for reserve duty. The work force couldn't handle it. That's why the resource is short lived, its use, until the Second Lebanon War, was problematic," says the Chief Reserve Forces Officer. Continue Reading June 2011

Back to Page 1 The Chief Reserve Forces Officer says that, "The two things that changed drastically after the Second Lebanon War were the issue of training and the issue of equipment."

According to him, "You could say that the most obvious change in training is the change in their relevance. That is, each unit trains specifically for its purpose and in addition to the training, in terms of number of days, are shorter. They are more intensive, more relevant to tasks, more night training, longer training in terms of the missions at hand, and much more physical strain. The reserve force trains for a day or two in a training exercise in a massive exercise and the ultimate result is better. They act exactly as they would during war, living in under the same conditions with all their ammunition on their back and with their supplies just like during war and thus the effort is bigger and training more effective."

In terms of equipment, too, a clear improvement has been made and Brig. Gen. Ben Anat says that, the "Army understood that the equipment must be newer and more up-to-date. So a five-year plan was made, we are in the fifth year, saying that a reserve forces today will be equipped like a regular duty soldier. We are in the process of upgrading the personal and unit weaponry and equipment. The IDF understood it and today the upgrades are much more at the top of the list."

Brig. Gen. Ben Anat says that the big lack in logistical equipment on bases during the Second Lebanon War came from an excess of manpower. "Most people who didn't have equipment were those beyond capacity," he says, "In the Second Lebanon War, a long list of people were drafted beyond capacity and the unit can't hold 120% amount of equipment, ultimately it is money that is missing from somewhere else. In Operation Case Lead units drafted reserves and agreed on a certain amount of excess, above which they sent people home. Among other things, it is to avoid a situation in which people are sitting around with nothing to do, as happened in the Second Lebanon War."

Beyond all the changes in the buildup of the army and its organization, the Law of Reserves was put into effect including the rights and duties of those serving in reserves. When it was put into effect it ruled certain payment plans in addition to lowering the age one may stop serving in the reserves from 54 to 40. it also mentioned number of days the army may demand of a reserve.

"The law raised the motivation for whoever was already motivated," says Brig. Gen. Ben Anat of his opinion. "The law is not what creates the motivation from the beginning, but it certainly helps. On the other hand, this law is still missing some moves which will cause, ultimately, higher motivation levels over time. For example, more reward and more support in other life cycles in the country, which aren't necessarily to do with money. The Law of Reserves started to create change."

The main problem according to the Chief Reserve Forces Officer is not necessarily the financial reward of the reserve soldiers but the social reward which they do not receive.

According to him, the Law of Reserves succeeded in bringing younger reserves, as many as 50% of the system is around the thirties and younger. "The idea was received of the 'battalion feeds a brigade', that is when a specific battalion in regular service knows how many reserve brigades it has, that's how a situation is created in which people go from regular service to reserve in an organic way. It's what makes the drop smaller and makes the force younger," he says.

Younger reserves means higher operational preparedness and the fact that they come from the organic framework causes unity and cohesiveness to the new battalion. "You have to trust the combat soldier with you, you are following him," explains Brig. Gen. Ben Anat.

It is very clear that the reserve forces system has improved tenfold, but improvements have not been completed. "There will never be an 'easier fight for reserves' – Hezbollah won't make it easier for them because they know it trains less and deals with kids. The combat soldiers understand these figures and it doesn't matter if it’s a reserve battalion or a regular service one, the preparedness must be on the same level," he concludes. June 2011

Back to Page 1 A review of attempts to run the Naval Blockade on the Gaza Strip with military hardware

We are listing here a reminder of past interceptions thanks to preparedness, high awareness, precise intelligence and up-to-scratch combat readiness of the Navy, the IDF and other security establishments.

“Victoria”, March 2011

March 15th 2011 saw the raid of the Israel Navy’s “Navy Seals” alongside the Coastguard, on the vessel “Victoria”. Large stocks of military arsenal were found on board, including the strategic C-704 missile as well as numerous Rocket Propelled Grenades of 60mm and 120mm.

The ship was rapidly overcome without any resistance shown by the crew, following which it was led into Ashdod Port for further inspection and offloading. The Vessel was on its way from the Turkish port of Mersin to Alexandria Port in . Prior to docking at Mersin, the vessel had visited the ports of Latakia in Syria and Beirut in Lebanon.

3 containers packed with military arsenal were discovered, among them 2 Chinese made C-704 missiles, presently used by the Iranians, alongside instruction manuals in Farsi. These missiles are ground to sea, capable of reaching Ashdod Port. Hamas does not deploy these as yet, and the mere fact of them obtaining these missiles would dangerously alter the balance of military power. These missiles are also known as “Nasser” with an effective range of 35KM. The missile carries a warhead of 130KG explosives and is guided by radar.

Continue Reading June 2011

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“Francop”, November 2009

The Iranian vessel “Francop” carrying the flag of Antigua was en route from Iran to Syria, loaded with 40 containers packed with arms, weighing a total of about 300 Tons. The Arsenal included sniper rifles, ammunition, grenades, Katyusha type rockets (122mm), all intended for the Hezbollah organization. It is assumed that had this shipload reached its destination, it would have sufficed for one month’s warfare against Israel.

הספינה FRANCOP עמוסה אמל"ח שנתפס על הספינה בציוד(Monchegorsk”, January 2009 (Cypriot vessel“ A shipment of military hardware was seized in Cyprus after it was discovered on board the vessel “Monchegorsk” which was being leased to an Iranian shipping company. The shipment included Tank ammunition, Artillery ammunition as well as rockets and materials for the manufacture of rockets.

“Hansa India” – October 2009

A vessel sailing from Iran carrying a German flag is bound for offloading 8 containers in an Egyptian port, with their ultimate destination for Gaza. Following an alert provided by the German Authorities, the ship was forbidden from offloading in Egypt and proceeded to Malta, where it was inspected and found to be carrying bullets, as well as a variety of means for the manufacture of weapons, probably originating in Syria.

“Karin A” January 2002

This was a Palestinian vessel seized by the Israel Navy in the Red Sea. The ship left an Iranian port, refueled in Yemen and carried a Tongan flag. The vessel was loaded with sealed barrels that proved to contain a vast arsenal of Katyusha rockets, mortars, Lau missiles, various types of rifles and guns, Sagger rockets, Rocket propelled grenades and mines.

“Santorini” May 2001

The vessel “Santorini” left Lebanese port bound for Gaza loaded with a military arsenal intended for smuggling into the Strip. The ship manned by 4 crew members, was captured close to port and brought to Israel. Its load included mortars, RPG’s, Kalashnikov rifles and a variety of other means of war. The crew had been instructed to throw the shipment overboard in sealed barrels with the purpose that they would float towards the Gaza coast. The crew told interrogators that this was their fourth smuggling attempt.

Continue Reading June 2011

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Overland Arms Smuggling Events

Since the introduction of the Maritime and Naval blockade on Gaza, much of the smuggling effort into the Gaza strip has moved to underground tunnels dug under the Philadelphi corridor that separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt. The contraband that passes through these tunnels includes human beings, drugs, rockets, weapons, and other military hardware. During the past years this effort has increased several times over, helping improve the range and effectiveness of weapons launched against Israel from within the Gaza Strip. The tunnels provide a living for a large number of Egyptians, and the latter have little interest in shutting down this business.

Following on Operation Cast Lead (Dec08/Jan09), smuggling has intensified once Hamas and Islamic Jihad have set it as their target to obtain quality weapons that will inflict greater damage and improve their standing versus Israel in a future conflict.

In their rearming efforts, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have enthusiastic support from Iran, who in its campaign to increase its influence on the Palestinian movements as well as Palestinian Terror Organizations, expresses this support by supplying hardware generously.

Since 2010, this means of smuggling has enabled the introduction of hundreds of internationally recognized and known rockets, about 1,000 mortar shells, tens of thousands of anti tank missiles, tons of explosives as well as the means to manufacture such.

The smuggling industry brings about a meeting of interests between Iran who supplies, in its aim to expand its influence among Palestinians, and Hamas who in their staunch resistance to Israel, seeks an advantage by arming itself with quality arsenal. June 2011

Back to Page 1 ‏How to send goods to the Gaza Strip IDF Blog recently detailed the daily delivery of goods such as food and sustenance to the Gaza Strip. The post explains that nearly 6,000 tons of food, fuel and other materials are transferred to the Gaza Strip daily. This as opposed to sea-bound convoys which in the past have included violent provocations with Israeli and Egyptian forces and rarely delivered the masses of food the army facilitates delivery of regularly.

Israel coordinates the transfer of between 250-280 truckloads of supplies via the Kerem Shalom crossing daily. Ultimately, it is Palestinian officials who are responsible for ordering all goods and materials transferred, having yet to take full advantage of the crossing's truckload capacity.

The lawful naval blockade instilled on the Gaza Strip following repeated attacks at the citizens of Israel allowed the Israel Navy to stop the transfer of rockets and ammunitions to Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.

IDF Blog continued, citing an example of a group of activists who did, in fact, help Palestinians in Gaza. The June, 2011, European convoy "Miles of Smiles 3" arrived at the Rafah land crossing, its 30 tons of medical supplies including 12 ambulances, baby food and wheelchairs were transferred to the Gaza Strip by coordinated efforts by the Egyptian Red Crescent. Those on board the ship did not attempt to provoke violence but came with the sole purpose of delivering supplies.

The 2010 flotilla to Gaza, however, had a much different agenda, refusing to deliver goods via land crossings (some of which included expired medicine) and having already declared its purpose in March of that year as the isolation of Israel in the international community and breaching the lawful naval blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Steps for transferring goods and materials into the Gaza Strip

1. To make a donation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, contact a humanitarian organization operating in the Gaza Strip, either UNRWA or the Red Cross in Gaza.

2. Humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza submit all formal requests to the international organizations branch of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (CoGAT).

3. CoGAT's donations officer, part of the international organizations branch, is responsible for approving and coordinating the transfer of all donations. UNRWA, the Red Cross and other major organizations typically receive immediate approval.

4. Requests for dual-use items must undergo a project review.

5. Per submitted requests, Israel transfers thousands of tons in goods and materials into Gaza on a weekly basis via the Kerem Shalom land crossin June 2011

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CoGAT transfers 16,599 tons of goods to Gaza Strip On Tuesday (June 21), 253 truckloads carrying 16,599 tons of goods and gas were transferred to Gaza from Israel via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (CoGAT) is a unit within the IDF responsible for transportation of aid into the Judea and Samaria region and the Gaza Strip. It works with the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) of the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria's Civil Administration to facilitate entrance of supplies such as gas, building materials, electrical appliances, ceramic parts, wheat and other foods, hygienic products and more.

"It is very important for us to shape and implement these relationships," explained Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, "actions that aim to provide a stable base for a possible future agreement."

In addition to the transfer of products, CoGAT also arranges for the passing of people through the crossings to receive services such as medical assistance. June 2011

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‏First woman appointed as IDF Major General Brig. Gen. Orna Barbivai was given the rank of Major General and the position of Head of the Human Resources Directorate in a formal ceremony at the Chief of Staff's offices in on Thursday (June 23). Minister of Defense, , Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. , director general of the Ministry of Defense, members of the General Staff Forum and family members all participated.

Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivai is the first woman in the history of the IDF to attain the rank of Major General and will be replacing Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir, who is ending his military service after 35 years in the IDF.

Maj. Gen. Barbivai was drafted to the IDF in 1981 to the Manpower and Personnel Corps and served in many positions throughout her military career including being the first commander of the Corps, making her the first woman commander in charge of a Corps not strictly comprised of women.

She has received a Bachelor's degree in humanities from Ben Gurion University and an MBA in Business Management from the University of Derby in Israel, among taking other courses. She is a mother of three. June 2011

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The new head of Home Front Command Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg was elevated to the rank of Maj. Gen. on Thursday (June 9) in a formal ceremony at the officers of the Chief of Staff at the Rabin base in Tel Aviv in the presence of the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, the Minister of Homeland Security, Mr. , and Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Also present were members of the General Staff Forum and their families. In the coming days, Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg will take the place of Maj. Gen. as Commander of the Home Front Command. Maj. Gen. Golan is set to become Commander of the Northern Command in the coming weeks, taking the place of Maj. Gen. .

The outgoing Commander of the Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, who will have completed a three and a half year term, described the position as exciting and crucial saying he will help the new commander in any way he can, as "the home front is all of us".

As Commander of the Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan presided over such missions as the aid delegation to Haiti in January, 2010, the aid delegation to Colombia in December, 2010, and the aid delegation to Japan in March, 2011.

Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, thanked Maj. Gen. Golan for using his array of abilities and operational energy, organization, military doctrine and deep understanding, all of which brought on great and important changes to the command. The Chief of Staff mentioned the international humanitarian aid operations in Haiti and Japan and of course the work at home.

The Chief of Staff spoke about Maj. Gen. Eisenberg saying his actions as a division commander during the Second Lebanon War and during Operation Cast Lead were professional and worthy of appreciation. He added saying, "In each future battle an effort will be made for quick results and for bringing an end to the fight knowing that our decision making power depends on and is ever linked to the home front's strength."

The Minister of Homeland Security, Mr. Matan Vilnai, thanked Maj. Gen. Yair Golan for his important and intensive work. He addressed Maj. Gen. Eisenberg saying he is set to carry a huge weight. June 2011

Back to Page 1 All that you want to know about the newest group of IAF pilots The latest group of IAF cadets have finished their flight training course and the graduation ceremony during which they will receive their wings will be held on Thursday (June 30) in the presence of President , Prime Minister , Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan.

This group of new IAF flight course graduates has a significantly higher percentage of soldiers who served in other units of the IDF before starting the flight course (16 percent compared to 5 percent in the previous cycle).

53 percent of the flight course graduates are from cities. The city that produced the most graduates is Haifa with eight. Maccabim-Re'ut came in second with five.

Nine percent of the graduates come from moshavim and two percent from kibbutzim.

51 percent were born in the center of the country, 37 percent in the north, 12 percent in the south and 14 percent were born overseas.

None of the new graduates is an only child. 46 percent are a middle child, 30 percent are the youngest child and 24 percent are the eldest child.

Two of the graduates are cousins with each other.

One of the graduates is married. June 2011

Back to Page 1 A new plan for IDF career soldiers was approved The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, and the General Staff Forum approved the new IDF plan for career soldiers, or soldier who sign on extra time in the army. Led by former Head of the , Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir, and in cooperation with every department of the IDF, the plan was created over the past two years in order to better the path of career soldiers and tackle the anticipated administrative challenges.

The new plan includes several changes to the current career soldier path, intended to improve the current chain of command in terms of morals and reward. The new plan will be put into effect in the next two decades.

The changes include: administrative tools intended to increase compensation for career soldiers, the transition to accumulative pensions and dealing with its effects, a decrease in release rates from the IDF, and an orderly plan to increase the retirement age, according to the treasury agreement of August, 2010.

Additionally, a new plan has been instated touching on the subject of new ranks for career soldiers.

After approving the new plan, Lt. Gen. Gantz began implementing it and said that, "The security of the nation depends on professional, well trained career soldiers and the new plan supports this. It responds to the needs and challenges of the IDF, and helps combat soldiers as well as soldiers in combat support positions take full advantage of the maturity and experience they have gained." June 2011

Back to Page 1 More than 10,000 IDF soldiers participate in race The IDF Ground Forces held a race on Thursday (June 2) at the Bahad 1 officer training school in Mitzpe Ramon.

In the presence of Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. , more than 10,000 IDF soldiers participated in the race, making it one of the largest military races in the world.

Participants ran on one of four courses: a ten kilometer competitive route, or one of three friendly routes that were ten, six and three kilometers in length.

As part of the growing healthy lifestyle awareness campaign within the IDF, a variety of running events, health and fitness seminars and workshops and group swimming and jogging exercises have been held.

The development of physical fitness amongst IDF soldiers improves their personal capabilities and benefits the IDF as a whole.

"This race is a significant milestone but it does not stand on its own," said Maj. Gen. Turgeman. "We will continue to train daily to preserve and improve the general fitness levels of all IDF units. If we turn this into a daily routine, I'm sure that this is the first step to victory in war."