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Bikini-clad, gun-toting Israeli woman becomes an Internet sensation A photo of a gun-wielding, bikini-clad woman standing on a crowded Tel Aviv beach has become an Internet sensation, with thousands of viewers curious about whether the brunette beauty is part of Israel's military and why she wasn't in uniform with her weapon in tow. The newspaper Haaretz notes that 'To an Israeli, the photo makes perfectly practical sense. When soldiers take their weapon off military premises, they must guard it closely and keep it on their person, at all times. Having one's weapon stolen is harshly punished with time in military...

Syria has been arming and training Hezbollah fighters in the use of advanced antiaircraft weapons in recent months, Israel Defense Forces sources have told Haaretz. A senior officer in the Northern Command says hundreds of fighters were taught to use surface-to-air missiles in Syria and Iran. IDF officers are worried by two developments involving Syria and Hezbollah that could change the balance of power in the region. The first is the transfer of huge quantities of surface-to-air missiles; the second, the transfer of chemical and biological weapons. IDF officers believe that Hezbollah use of advanced antiaircraft missiles could jeopardize Israeli...

On March 29, 2005 the London Arab daily Al-Hayat published a report on Iran’s current preparedness for an American or Israeli attack. The report was translated by www.memri.org (Middle East Media Research Institute). MEMRI introduced the report as follows: “In recent months, commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and armed forces have announced their complete preparedness for a possible military attack on Iran’s nuclear installations and other sensitive sites. Iranian spokesmen have declared that Iran’s response would be formidable.” The interview indicates the hostility, confidence, determination and intractability of the Iranian leadership. Following are excerpts from that article: “Iranian military sources...

A bit like an MTV video. Very good production. http://www.idf.il/media/IDF_mail.wmv 

Hello FReepers and welcome to my weekly IDF and Israel topic. As part of my IDF and Israel ping list, I am publishing a series of fascinating stories and facts about the IDF and Israel. I will include topics about Israeli-Arab wars, IDF's famous missions, war diaries written by IDF warriors, special IDF units, Middle East's strategic balance, Israel beyond politics, and much more. Feel free to ask questions about the IDF and Israel- from any kind, and to give suggestions for future topics as the publications are for you. Today's topic will focus on the Sinai War (also known...

Three Apache Longbow helicopters arrive in Israel as part of USD 640 million defense-upgrade project; equipped with advanced night-vision system; remaining choppers to arrive by the end of 2006. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) received three Apache Longbow helicopters Sunday as part of a newly-established 20-helicopter squadron. The highly advanced chopper can fly in all weather conditions and at nighttime, as it comes equipped with a night-vision system that transfers images directly to the pilot's eyes, a senior IAF officer said. Another major advantage of the chopper pertains to its radar, which permits the detection of more than one target...

Hello and welcome to my weekly IDF and Israel thread. As part of my IDF and Israel ping list, I am publishing a series of fascinating stories and facts regarding the IDF or Israel, every friday- one topic once a week. I will include Israeli-Arab wars threads, IDF famous missions threads, stories regarding the life of an IDF soldier, topics about Middle East's strategic balance, etc. Feel free to ask questions about the IDF and Israel- from any kind, and to give suggestions for future topics as the information is for you. As I promised last week, today's topic will...

As part of my IDF & Israel ping list, I am publishing a series of fascinating stories and facts regarding the IDF or Israel, every friday- one topic once a week. I will include Israeli-Arab wars threads, IDF famous missions threads, stories regarding the life of an IDF soldier, topics about Middle East's startegic balance, etc. Feel free to ask questions about the IDF and Israel- from any kind, and to give suggestions for future topics as the information is for you. Today is the 2nd publishment and today's thread will focus on the Founding of the Israel Defense Forces....

As part of my IDF & Israel ping list, I am planning, starting from today, to start posting a series of fascinating stories and facts regarding the IDF or Israel, every friday- one topic once a week. Today I am going to start from the IDF doctrine, since its the basic thing to start from. I will include Israeli-Arab wars topic, IDF famous missions topic, stories regarding the life of an IDF soldier, topics about Middle East's startegic balance, etc. Feel free to ask questions about the IDF and Israel- from any kind, and to give suggestions for future topics...