As world’s largest exporter of drones, Israel looks to transform battlefield

Published on March 4, 2013

An Israeli soldier sits in an office chair in an air-conditioned metal chamber staring at two screens side by side. One shows a map with a moving dot. The other displays a video feed. Next to the soldier are three more identical stations.

IDF to tackle Ethiopian troops’ adjustment problems

Published on February 8, 2013

A new IDF unit will work on integrating Ethiopian recruits, who are over-represented in army prisons.

Pentagon lifts U.S. ban on women in combat

Published on January 24, 2013

The Pentagon lifted its ban on women in front-line combat roles on Thursday in a historic step toward gender equality in the U.S. armed forces after 11 years of nonstop war, during which the front lines were often not clearly defined.

All about my IDF (part two)

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on December 26, 2012

Jews and guns: A day on the firing range

By Ryan Torok
Published on December 5, 2012

Susanne Reyto carefully loaded her rifle and switched the safety off. Peering into the scope attached to the top of the weapon, she pulled the trigger while former U.S. Army platoon leader Charlie Jasper looked on to ensure she was handling her weapon safely.

Lebanon defuses two missiles aimed at Israel

Published on November 19, 2012

The Lebanese Army defused two rockets aimed at northern Israel.

Economic costs of Gaza fighting

Published on November 19, 2012

Last Friday, Moshe Ahituv (not his real name) received another call-up from the Israeli army. A captain in the home front command, he had already completed 43 days of army reserve service this year.

Jewish World War II veteran Mort Schecter named Veteran of the Year

By Ryan Torok
Published on November 12, 2012

As a tail gunner stationed on bombers during World War II, Mort Schecter frequently found himself a sitting duck.

Who’s winning the foreign policy debate?

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on October 17, 2012

It is often assumed that foreign policy is a field in which deeds matter more than words. But looking at the two presidential candidates in the 2012 election cycle, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, one might end up with the opposite impression: It is words, not deeds, that make their foreign policies seem different.

All about my IDF (part one)

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on October 17, 2012

I've got your back

By Steve Greenberg
Published on September 27, 2012

As Charedi draft begins, no problems

Published on August 15, 2012

The controversy had sparked a national debate, raucous protests in the streets and the collapse of a historic government. That came in the months after the Israeli Supreme Court had nullified a law exempting Charedi Orthodox Israelis from military service and giving the government until Aug. 1 to draft a replacement law.

Pentagon, Lockheed reach agreement on using Israeli systems for F-35s

Published on July 27, 2012

The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Corp. have reached an agreement to integrate Israeli systems into the F-35 fighter jet.

Senate affirms commitment to Israeli military’s qualitative edge

Published on July 2, 2012

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that reaffirms U.S. security commitments to Israel.

Germany’s Jewish patriots find a home in the military

Published on June 26, 2012

In an office amid a labyrinth of hallways in Germany's Ministry of Defense, a short jaunt from where Claus von Stauffenberg was executed in 1944 for trying to kill Adolf Hitler, sits Bernhard Fischer, lieutenant colonel and Jew.

Haredi Free-Pass

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on June 26, 2012

Israeli army officer suspended for firing on Palestinian demonstrators

Published on June 12, 2012

An Israeli army officer was suspended for firing on Palestinians throwing stones at a demonstration.

Panetta announces $70 million for Iron Dome near term

Published on May 17, 2012

The Obama administration said it would rush $70 million to Israel in order to enhance its Iron Dome missile defense system, with more money in the pipeline.

For new Israeli coalition, haredi army exemptions issue is front and center

Published on May 9, 2012

Israel’s new unity government may not alter Jerusalem’s strategy for curbing Iran’s nuclear weapons program or do much to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Israel army closes probe into deadly 2009 shelling

Published on May 1, 2012

Israel's military on Tuesday closed an investigation into a 2009 shelling of a house in Gaza that killed 21 members of a Palestinian family, saying it did not constitute a war crime and that the civilians had not been targeted purposefully.

House committee to propose Iron Dome boost

Published on April 23, 2012

The House Armed Services Committee reportedly is proposing $680 million in additional funds for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

Israeli military doctor saves Palestinian baby brought to base

Published on April 23, 2012

An Israeli military doctor saved a 12-day-old Palestinian baby girl who had stopped breathing.

Germany sells sub to Israel but warns on attacking Iran

Published on March 20, 2012

Germany said on Tuesday it will sell Israel a sixth military submarine and shoulder part of the cost, although it warned its ally that any military escalation with Iran could bring incalculable risks.

Israel, Azerbaijan ink $1.6 billion military deal

Published on February 27, 2012

A state-run Israeli company will has inked a $1.6 billion deal to sell sophisticated military technology to Azerbaijan.

Bibi tables talk on extending law delaying military service

Published on January 18, 2012

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed discussion of extending a law for five more years that allows yeshiva students to delay their military service.

Congress approves review of medals for Jewish WWI vets

Published on December 21, 2011

Congress approved a requirement for the U.S. military to review World War I records to determine whether Jews who received decorations should be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Attacks by radical settlers on Israeli army spark debate

Published on December 19, 2011

Charred tires and boulders pushed to the sides of the road leading to Yitzhar, a West Bank Jewish community near Nablus, were among the signs that residents had made an effort to prevent Israeli soldiers and police from entering the settlement.

Holiday packages for Jewish service members

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on November 30, 2011

Bel-Air may be a long way from Afghanistan, but the distance seemed a little closer on a recent rainy Sunday. At the home of Joan Rimmon, a cadre of volunteers was assembling care packages for Jewish servicemen and -women deployed abroad. Although Thanksgiving was just days away, these packages were geared for Chanukah.

Tahrir reprise throws down gauntlet to Egypt army

Published on November 21, 2011

The chants, tear gas and violence emanating from Cairo's Tahrir Square evoke the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Protesters talk of a fight to the death with the ruling military council, whose entire transition plan looks shakier than ever.

From soldier to rabbi, one Afghanistan war veteran takes unusual path

Published on October 17, 2011

When West Point’s Jewish chaplain left the academy during Joshua Knobel’s freshman year, Knobel filled in for him, running Jewish prayer services at the military school’s chapel.

Lost Treasures, Home Movies, Memory Lane & a Surprise Visit from Heaven

By Ilana Angel
Published on October 2, 2011

Israel moves to ease strains with Egypt

Published on August 25, 2011

Israel offered on Thursday to investigate jointly with Egypt the killing of five Egyptian security personnel during an Israeli operation against cross-border raiders a week ago, violence that has strained relations with Cairo's new rulers.

In helping Palestinians, IDF paramedics defy stereotypes

Published on May 26, 2011

Yana Kisluk tosses her long ponytail over one shoulder and adjusts her M-16 over the other.

Iran army general: Attacking us would be suicidal

Published on April 20, 2011

The Iranian army's ground force commander warned that attacking Iran would be suicidal, the semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Pushed by Goldstone, Israeli army embraces new ‘smart’ warfare

Published on April 11, 2011

Despite Israel’s rejection of the Goldstone report on the Gaza war a year-and-a-half ago, the international criticism it engendered has led the Israel Defense Forces to make a number of significant changes in policy and doctrine. And they'll stay even though Richard Goldstone has recanted one of the most significant findings of his committee's report -- that Israel intentionally targeted civilians and may have perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Gillibrand presses Army on beard policy

Published on March 16, 2011

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand urged the Army to modify a regulation banning facial hair in order to allow rabbis to serve as chaplains. "It is my understanding that a review of this policy is currently under way at the Department of Defense," Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) wrote recently to Army Secretary John McHugh. "I write to strongly urge that while this review is ongoing, the Army grant waivers of this policy to prospective chaplains who are otherwise fully qualified to serve."

In Bahrain, at least 3 killed, 231 hurt as army cracks down on protests

Published on February 17, 2011

The Bahraini army seized control of key parts of capital Manama on Thursday and banned gatherings, after a riot police raid on a protest camp left at least three people dead, 231 wounded and 60 more missing.

Mubarak resigns, army assumes power [LIVE VIDEO]

Published on February 11, 2011

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigned and the military has assumed power. Omar Suleiman, appointed vice president by Mubarak last week in a bid to quell burgeoning protests, made the announcement on state TV Friday and said that power had transferred to the military's Supreme Council.

Rabbi sues Army over beard ban

Published on December 9, 2010

A rabbi is suing the U.S. Army, saying it refused his services as a chaplain because he would not shave his beard. Rabbi Menachem Stern filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Washington on Wednesday, his law firm, Lewin and Lewin, said in a news release. Stern claims the Army rejected his application to serve as a chaplain only because he would not shave his beard as a matter of conscience.

Valley Jewish war vets fight an old enemy on the home front: Invisibility

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on November 10, 2010

They fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. They served in the United States Army, Navy and the Army Air Corps — the precursor to the Air Force. A few flew through anti-aircraft fire over Nazi Germany, another marched over mountains during the coldest winter of the Korean War. One even watched the Bay of Pigs Invasion from the deck of a disguised aircraft carrier floating “spitting distance” from the shores of Cuba.

The Jewish War Veterans of Post 603 [AUDIO]

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on November 9, 2010

There are a few Jewish themes to the stories that the Jewish War Veterans of Post 603 tell. They tell of feeling ignored by a society that still thinks Jews don’t serve. Stories about anti-Semitism in the military ranks many decades ago are also common -- and always seem to involve a superior officer from Georgia.

Army Archerd: January 13, 1922 - September 8, 2009

Published on September 9, 2009

Army Archerd, whose 52-year run as a Daily Variety columnist made him unique among showbiz reporters, died Tuesday

Shalits reveal content of 2006 letter from Gilad

Published on September 8, 2009

The family of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit has allowed public access to a letter he wrote just months after being taken captive by Palestinian militants in 2006.

Revelations of Army’s Actions in Gaza Cause Stir

Published on March 25, 2009

Revelations by Israeli soldiers of inhumane conduct in the recent Gaza War are putting Israel on the defensive.

According to soldiers involved in the 22-day operation, Israeli troops used heavy firepower in built-up civilian areas, shot and killed women and children on at least two occasions because of loose rules of engagement and, in many cases, showed little respect for Palestinian people and property.

Helen Mirren to Play Mossad Spy

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 2, 2009

Survival hinges on being light unto nations

By Avraham Burg
Published on May 15, 2008

It's impossible to augur the future of the Jewish people. It can only be summed up in two words: "I hope."

N.J. man accused of spying for Israel

By Ron Kampeas
Published on April 24, 2008

The arrest this week of a retired a New Jersey man on charges of transmitting classified information to Israel two decades ago shows how the Jonathan Pollard spy case continues to haunt the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Jewish Army chaplain in Afghanistan juggles outreach to local Muslims, interfaith counseling, and th

By JewishJournal.com
Published on November 12, 2007

Israel’s military women fight to get real story on big screen

By Curt Schleier
Published on March 22, 2007

As Vidi Bilu recalls it, she and Dalia Hager were working on a series they were hoping to sell to Israeli television, when their conversation turned to their experiences in the military. Even in the Holy Land, it is not typical for women "to talk about their memories of the army," she says. But the chat got them thinking that their experiences might make a good film.

Lebanon War: Mission Accomplished

By Dan Gordon
Published on August 31, 2006

From a military perspective, there can be absolutely no doubt as to the results of Hezbollah and Iran's offensive against Israel. It was a defeat. Every part of their war plan, except the manipulation of the media, failed.

Our Uri

By David Grossman
Published on August 24, 2006

Hours before the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect, Israel Defense Forces tank commander Uri Grossman, the son of acclaimed Israeli novelist David Grossman, was killed by an Hezbollah anti-tank missile. This is an excerpt of the eulogy David Grossman delivered at his son's funeral.

Will They Ever Understand an Israeli’s Mind-Set?

By Shira Kaplan
Published on August 24, 2006

I am lying in my Tel Aviv bed long after midnight, soaking my pillow with tears.
My cries are echoing in the house. My folks are fast asleep. The war with Lebanon has finally hit me.

Drive Sends Love, ‘Gratitude’ to Troops

By Laura Birnbaum
Published on June 1, 2006

Carolyn Blashek is a Jewish mother in Encino who, like most Americans, was horrified by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. However, her reaction was slightly different than that of the average Jewish mother -- she tried to enlist in the military.

What a Difference a ‘Gap Year’ Makes

By Jane Ulman
Published on February 23, 2006

MASA, Hebrew for journey, started funding students who qualified on a need-basis in 2004-05, subsidizing more than 100 approved five- to 10-month Israel programs that assist 18- to 30-year-olds in building a solid connection to Israel. This year, MASA is helping to send 7,000 young adults worldwide to Israel, with hopes of sending 20,000 a year by decade's end.

Rabbi Ending Long Hitch in Military

By Avigail Schwartz
Published on February 16, 2006

Lapp was 9 when his family arrived in the United States. He went on to study political science and religious education at Yeshiva University and was ordained at the Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary in 1957. He studied chaplaincy at the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., and the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.

War Hero’s Medal Wait Finally Ends

By Tom Tugend
Published on September 15, 2005

Next Friday, as Tibor Rubin enters the White House, generals will stand at rigid attention. The president of the United States also will rise and then drape the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for gallantry in combat, around the neck of the 76-year-old Holocaust survivor and Korean War veteran.

Rubin and a legion of supporters have waited almost 55 years for this triumph of camaraderie and persistence over both bureaucratic lethargy and the prejudice endured by so many old-time Jewish GIs.

A Student Oasis on the Rise

By Amy Klein
Published on July 21, 2005

Entering university can be a tough transition, especially for Israelis, who have probably spent the previous decade of their lives prepping for the army, serving in the army and recovering from the army.

"Once you get out of the army, everything you used to study, to stand for, is gone; religiously, Zionistically --any kind of idealism," says Tzvicka Deutch, a Ben Gurion University (BGU) grad student who won third place in the popular Israeli reality show, "The Ambassador," in which young Israelis competed to represent the Jewish state in its worldwide public relations efforts.

Turmoil Grows as Withdrawal Nears

By Leslie Susser
Published on July 7, 2005

With Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip scheduled to begin on Aug. 15, escalating right-wing and settler protests threaten to plunge the country into anarchy and could provoke a strong anti-settler backlash.

Protesters last week blocked major highways, poured oil and scattered spikes across a busy road; occupied buildings in Gaza, and threw stones at Palestinians and Israel Defense Forces soldiers. The army and police responded by temporarily declaring the Gaza Strip a closed military zone, ejecting the extremists from occupied buildings and making dozens of arrests.

In an unprecedented spate of interviews and public statements, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon condemned what he called the "hooliganism" of the far right, and vowed that he would not be deterred by it.

However, will authorities be able to maintain law and order in the face of even more extreme protest plans?

Little-Known Givers Have Big Hearts

By Tom Tugend
Published on January 27, 2005

Always an ardent patriot, after Sept. 11, Robert Rosenthal felt strongly that he had to do something constructive. When he learned that in contrast to USO shows for troops overseas, there was no similar entertainment at stateside bases, he suggested to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that something be done to close the gap.

Front-Line Valor

By Abraham Rabinovich
Published on September 23, 2004

As a journalist in the Yom Kippur War, I came upon a Patton tank company refueling behind the Israeli lines in Sinai during the last week of fighting.