Although it is based in Lebanon, Hezbollah responds to direct orders from Iran and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and ignores all international calls (UN Resolutions 1701 and 1559) to lay down its arms.

During his visit to Israel in March 2013, President Obama spoke about the Hezbollah attack in Bulgaria, and declared: “That’s why every country that values justice should call Hezbollah what it truly is – a terrorist organization. Because the world cannot tolerate an organization that murders innocent civilians, stockpiles rockets to shoot at cities, and supports the massacre of men, women and children in Syria.”

Hezbollah’s principal method of achieving its aims is terrorism. Some of their recent activities include:

1. July 18 2012: A Hezbollah operative blew himself up in an Israeli tourist bus in Burgas, Bulgaria. He killed 6 people and wounded 36. The bus was transporting Israeli tourists enjoying their summer vacation in the area.

Damaged buses at Bulgaria’s Burgas airport on Wednesday. Credit: New York Times

2. November 2009: The Francop was intercepted by the Israeli Navy off the coast of Cyprus en route from Iran to Syria, where it was to be smuggled by land to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The ship contained 36 containers with 500 tons of arms: 9,000 mortar bombs, 3,000 Katyusha rockets, 3,000 gun shells, 20,000 grenades and half of a million rounds of small ammunition, all hidden behind sacks of polyethylene.

Weapons seized aboard the Francop ship, 2009

3. During the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah continuously bombarded Israel’s northern towns and cities – Carmiel, Nahariyya and even Haifa. They purposefully targeted large population centers in order to kill and wound as many Israeli civilians as possible.  They fired approximately 4000 rockets and killed 44 civilians.

The international community, through the UN Security Council, has repeatedly ordered Hezbollah to lay down its arms. Resolution 1701 called for the creation of “an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon”.  Hezbollah violated the resolution, remained in South Lebanon, and even increased its missile arsenal.

Voices in Lebanon have expressed their anger at Hezbollah. “It is impossible for weapons to stay raised against the will of a democratic people and against the truth,” Saad al-Hariri, Former Prime Minister of Lebanon said on March 2013. “We want to put [Hezbollah's weapons] under the control and authority of the state because it is the army that protects us all.”

Hezbollah pretends to be a legitimate political organization, but their political and military wings are really one and the same. “Hezbollah has a single leadership,” Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem told an American journalist.  ”The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel.”

Pvt. Mauricio Glucksmann

Pvt. Mauricio Glucksmann was born on October 10, 1991 in Caracas, Venezuela. There, he studied at a Jewish school and led a normal life. But normalcy would not last for long.

At age 8, Pvt. Glucksmann was abducted near his home and forced to stay in the trunk of a car with a bag over his head for eight hours. After lengthy negotiations between his parents and his kidnappers, he was released in a public park where he was reunited with his family.

On April 11, 2002, protesters attempted to overthrow the government of Hugo Chavez. Pvt. Glucksmann was present at the protest, where he witnessed the murder of several people. The event traumatized him.

At the age of 12, horror once again struck the Glucksmann family as a group of criminals broke into their home, holding the family hostage while ransacking the house.
This incident prompted Pvt. Glucksmann’s parents to send him to live with his mother’s family in Mexico.

There, yet another tragedy would occur: Pvt. Glucksmann’s father died due to medical negligence. Pvt. Glucksmann traveled to Venezuela to be with his family during the mourning period. Shortly after, he returned to Mexico with the intention of strengthening his ties with Judaism.

In 2010, Pvt. Glucksmann traveled to Israel with the Israel Challenge program and participated in the Marva course in which young people from all over the world undergo basic training in the IDF. It was then that he decided to officially immigrate to Israel and enlist in the IDF.

“I decided to make aliyah because I realized that this is where I wanted to live. It is a Jewish country, it belongs to us and it has a bright future ahead. Though it is not easy to start a life from scratch, Israel is where we should be.”

Mauricio on a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem with the Marva course, 2010

Filled with hope and optimism, Pvt. Glucksmann returned to Israel in late 2011, this time to stay. ”I knew I would face challenges, such as learning a new language and adapting myself to a different culture. My main goals were to become proficient in Hebrew and become a good soldier in the IDF.”

His decision to enlist was influenced by his time in Israel in 2010, when he says he finally began to feel a sense of calm. ”No matter where I was, I felt safe when I saw an IDF soldier” he recalls. “That was why I decided to become one of those soldiers who could provide that type of comfort.”

Pvt. Mauricio Glucksmann

He describes the importance of serving in the army: “It is important because this is the only land that is truly ours. We are surrounded by enemies who are determined to take it away at any price and we are the only barrier holding them back,” referring to his position in the IDF. “We have no other place. This is our only home,” he says.

Pvt. Mauricio Glucksmann and his fellow servicemen.

His army service has been full of hard work, but also camaraderie that he says only a combat soldier can understand.

“When you are doing a Massa [mission] or a tough exercise out in the field and you see your friend, who is even more exhausted than you, come and help so you can get ahead–this type of bond is impossible to explain.”

Nahal Brigade soldiers in the Beret march

Today Pvt. Glucksmann serves in the 931st Company of the Nahal Brigade and plans to complete the commanders course in order to become an IDF officer. ”Things have been going very well. I am so happy where I am and with whom I serve. I have grown as a person and learnt many things that make me a good soldier.”

During the tour of the Syrian border, the Chief of Staff closely examined the readiness of IDF troops and spoke with soldiers and commanders in the Nahal Brigade who are on operational duty along the border. Lt. Gen. Gantz stressed that “we must remain alert and vigilant during this challenging time.”

May 21st, 2013: IDF Chief of Staff surveying the Syrian border.

Later in the day, Lt. Gen. Gantz attended a conference marking the 25th anniversary of the University of Haifa’s defense program, and discussed the previous night’s gunfire coming in from Syria towards an IDF patrol in the Golan Heights. Lt. Gen. Gantz stated that “shots were fired three times from a Syrian patrol, so it had to be neutralized.”

The Chief of Staff stressed that the IDF is aware of Syria’s numerous attempts recently to smuggle in weapons and of Assad’s plans to expand operations against Israel. “We will not allow the Golan Heights to become a comfortable place for assault from Assad,” declared Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.

May 21st, 2013: IDF Chief of Staff at the Syrian border.

Lt. Gen. Gantz warned that “if Assad impairs the situation in the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences. I am not a litigious person, but we need to know how to defend our Northern border under its deteriorating reality.”

Zehava’s sister, who passed away from cancer, had advised her to do something important in the army. Zehava, who comes from a family of rabbis, chose to follow her sister’s advice.

Today, she is Lt. Zehava, a decorated IDF soldier. Here is her family’s story.

WALKING TO ISRAEL, TORAH IN HAND

Zehava’s journey has been a long one, from her childhood in Ethiopia to her service in the IDF.

“My father was born into the Ethiopian rabbinic community. My parents lived in a village and lived comfortably. When they first heard of the possibility of living in Israel in 1984, they immediately wanted to do it,” Zehava recalled. “It was a dream for them.” That year, Zehava’s uncles were part of a group that emigrated from Ethiopia to Israel.

Her family followed five years later. “My parents already had eight children and my mother was pregnant with me. They decided to leave everything they had behind: their possessions, their house, their animals, in order to return to Jerusalem,” Zehava said.

“They took with them only a little bit of food, money and my father’s Torah. They were joined by a guide who had already arrived in Israel during the first group’s immigration to Israel in 1984. He returned to help lead this group to Israel. They walked during the night so that they wouldn’t be identified, and they slept during the day,” Zehava explained.

Many died on the road, and the Elias family was not immune to such tragedies. “One of my brothers was very sick. My father took him to a small town in Sudan for treatment. My older brother later told us that he was already dead in my father’s arms, but my father insisted on getting the child treatment. He was only three years old. Some time later, my other brother, who was five years old, died of dehydration. They had no choice but to continue on their journey,” Zehava explained.

Lt. Zehava’s mother

“My mother was already late in her pregnancy during the journey. On one of the last days of the journey, my brothers carried my mother in a stretcher because she could not walk anymore,” Zehava recalled. “Her water broke while they were crossing a river and I was born, right there in Sudan.”

And their adventure continued. During their journey, Zehava’s father and older brothers were stopped and imprisoned in Sudan. Their mother and the rest of the children had no choice but to continue on.

More than a year after their departure from their home village, they arrived safely at their designated meeting place. From there, they took a plane to Israel.

Building a new home

The arrival in Israel was not as joyful as expected, because the family was still separated. The first year was not easy: language difficulties, problems with integration and, above all, the difficulty of building a new life without the men of the family.

It was only after more than a year that the last members of the family were released from Sudanese prison in order to join their family in the Jewish state. There was immense joy when the Elias family was finally reunited in Israel.

Lt. Zahava’s parents

The family adapted well to Israeli life. In 1992, Zehava’s mother gave birth to twins, the first members of the family to be born in Israel. A few years later, Zehava began elementary school, where she already had plenty of brothers and sisters. Edna, the oldest sister, was the leader. She would prepare all the lunches and walk everyone to school. Her Hebrew was better than her parents’, so she was the one to attend parent-teacher conferences for her brothers and sisters. As soon as they were old enough, every member of the family worked outside of school hours in order to support the family.

“My father worked as a janitor or repairman. It was hard work but he did it with pleasure because he was able to be in Israel. We also worked hard at school and were accepted into a very good school,” Zehava said.

Protecting Israel in Uniform

In 2007, during Zehava’s last year of high school, Tata, one of her older sisters and mother of seven, told the family that she had cancer. She was hospitalized for 12 months.

“The day I found out, it was raining. I was on my way with friends to a Psychometric Exam class. My family called me and I cried and cried. She died so quickly. It was very hard for my father. It was one of the only times I saw him cry,” Zehava said. “At the hospital, she instructed me to do something good in the army, whatever is most important to me. She believed in me.”

Zehava finished her studies with excellence. Then, in February 2008, she enlisted in the IDF. She became a commander at Havat HaShomer, a military base for troubled youth, before enrolling in officers’ training.

“I did not tell my family that I was doing the officers’ course. I needed to succeed because I took to heart all that Tata had asked of me. When my father came to the ceremony – he was obviously very proud at the officer’s ceremony. My mother was in tears,” Zehava said.

Lt. Zehava Elias

In 2010, Zehava became an instruction commander in the Southern Command. After a break from the army, she returned to her post in 2011.

The IDF offers some soldiers training to help ease them back into civilian life at the conclusion of their service. This is where Zehava can be found today. “It is not always easy to go back to being a civilian after three years in the army,” she explained. “We try to help soldiers make the best choices as they continue on their journeys.”

Earlier this year, she received the Award of Excellence from the Manpower Directorate for her contributions to her position and to the army.

“My source of motivation is my sister. I tell the story of my family and my sister Tata in the army. I do it all to show my pride in being an Israeli citizen. I try to show what we have overcome. Despite all we have gone through, I became someone in the army, and I was able to do something meaningful. If I can do it, anyone can.”

Last night, IDF forces uncovered a large weapons cache in the house of a wanted terrorist in Kafr Qalil, a village in the Samaria region. The weapons were confiscated and transferred to investigative security forces.

The IDF forces discovered a shotgun, a pistol, various parts of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment at the site.

The IDF will continue to operate day and night in order to keep the citizens of Israel safe.

The weapons discovered by IDF forces

The Air Force Museum is the only museum in Israel where the entire staff is made up of soldiers on active duty, including tour guides who speak five different languages – Hebrew, English, Spanish, French and Russian. The logistic workers, plane mechanics, administrators and photographers are all soldiers as well.

Now, to introduce your personal tour guide: Cpl. Rom Aloni, 20 years-old, serves as a guide in the museum as part of his regular army service.

Cpl. Rom Aloni next to the MiG-23 and the MiG-21 airplanes (from left to right)

The Air Force Museum was established in 1977 and officially opened in 1991 near the Hatzerim airbase. It holds one of the largest airplane collections in the world and takes visitors on a fascinating tour of Israeli aviation history.

More than 140 aircraft and anti-aircraft exhibits such as missile launchers and missiles are on display. 

The MIM-23 Hawk
A medium surface-to-air missile. Active in the IAF since 1965

In addition to its collection of aircraft used by the Israeli Air Force, the museum also features enemy craft captured by Israel, including Soviet MiGs.

The Mirage III
A supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the mid-1950s.   Active in the IAF since 1961.

The Iraqi MiG-21, pictured below, arrived in Israel in 1966 after the pilot of the plane, Munir Redfa, defected to Israel with the cooperation of the Mossad. The MiG-23 was flown to Israel by a Syrian fighter pilot who decided to defect to Israel in 1989 during a routine training flight near the Israel’s border.

The MiG-21

The central aircraft hangar holds more than 20 attack helicopters, which were either decommissioned or captured by Israel, and hundreds of attack helicopters that served in the Israel Air Force.

The Aérospatiale Super Frelon
A three-engined heavy transport helicopter produced by Aérospatiale of France. Active in the IAF between 1966 -1991.

Some of these aircrafts are still operational and even fly in various air shows, like the Spitfire that once belonged to Ezer Weizman, the seventh president of the State of Israel, Commander of the Israel Air Force and Minister of Defense.

The Supermarine Spitfire

Another must-see aircraft in the museum is the Israel Aerospace Industries “Lavi”. A single-engined fighter plane that was built and designed in Israel, the Lavi project concluded in 1987. The B-2 prototype  is on display in the Museum.

The IAI Lavi

Beside the aircrafts display, the museum presents the history of the Israeli Air Force, including the activity of the Israeli Air Force’s Rescue and Evacuation Unit, and remnants of aircrafts and weapons, and historical and modern military hardware.

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable attack aircraft. Active in the IAF since 1967. His Hebrew nickname: The “Eagle” (Ay’it)

Put the museum on your itinerary next time you’re in Israel. For information and details please call: +972-8-9906853

Commemorating His Sister’s Dream

At one stage during the tour, Rom is asked by a tour participant if he ever wanted to be a pilot. “No , I was never interested. I always wanted to deal with education. Being a tour-guide always seemed to be more experiential than being a pilot,” he said.

Given his family story, its not hard to understand why.

“My dad was an Air Force pilot on the Cobra helicopter. The Israeli Air Force was always on my mind. I remember when I was 6, I went for the first time to the museum to visit my sister, Zohar, who was a tour-guide. When she finished her military service she traveled to Thailand with her boyfriend. The year was 2004. My sister was killed in the Tsunami disaster.”

 As Rom’s enlistment date approached, he understood that the best way to commemorate his sister’s memory was by carrying on her legacy, by being a tour-guide in the museum. “I feel that its my mission – my parents are very proud of me. I couldn’t choose a better  military duty .”

These weren’t the only attacks in April. In total, Palestinians threw firebombs a total of 72 times and rocks a total of 615 times, putting civilians’ lives at risk.

This is a summary of the events of the last week of April:

Popular terror may seem harmless, but it can kill. The IDF will continue to act to protect its citizens.

How many crossings and checkpoints are there today?

There are nearly 40 crossings between Judea and Samaria and other parts of Israel. Some are used for the passage of people, others for the passage of goods. In addition to these crossings, 12 checkpoints are placed strategically throughout Israel’s Central Command region, and operate in time of need in light of security considerations.

Checkpoints – Preventing terror, saving lives

Capt. Barak Raz, spokesperson for the Judea and Samaria Division, describes the situation in Judea and Samaria as relatively stable.

“Today, we take into account incidents such as throwing stones, which can be fatal, and we also have the resources to improve road safety. Ten years ago, nobody was keeping track of all this because there was a terror attack nearly every day.”

Last year marked the first year since 1973 in which no Israelis were killed in Judea and Samaria. Compare this to 2002, in which 47 terror attacks left 452 Israeli civilians dead.

Checkpoints have been used as a method to filter out and prevent terror attacks before would-be Palestinian attackers have a chance to enter Israel. As a result of such insidious methods as female suicide bombers hiding explosives under their clothing and the use of ambulances to conceal and transport terrorist weapons, routine checks have been intensified at all types of crossings.

The number of terror attacks has fallen drastically since substantial construction of the security fence was established by 2006.

The IDF has withdrawn the majority of its checkpoints in Judea and Samaria in a step towards beginning a positive cycle, Capt. Raz explains:

“The Palestinians have realized that the path of terror led them nowhere. We can explain this relative calm in three ways: the reduction of military presence during routine security tasks, an effective counter-terrorism strategy, and a clear economic incentive for Palestinians to maintain the calm. By reducing the number of checkpoints, we can provide much more freedom of movement, therefore improving the economic conditions and ultimately strengthening the security situation.”

 

From 40 to 12 checkpoints

The number of checkpoints in the Central Command went from 40 in July 2008 to just 12 in October 2012. Furthermore, these checkpoints are only used some of the time and the frequency of checks is dependent on the security threat at the time.

Barak Raz explains that the relative calm in the region has been brought about by the success of security measures which routinely prevent attempted attacks.

“Despite the calm, the willingness to carry out terror attacks is still present, but we are able to counter them better. This may seem paradoxical since there are fewer checkpoints. However, we use the 12 points as soon as we receive the warning of an imminent threat. Every vehicle at each location is then checked. In approximately thirty minutes, we stop the suspects and the situation returns to normal.”

 

Freedom of Movement

Separate roads are used to enter Palestinian and Israeli communities. It is important to remember that Israeli vehicles are prohibited from entering roads leading to Area “A” (the area under full civil and security control of the Palestinian Authority) just as Palestinian vehicles are not permitted to leave Judea and Samaria in order to enter into Israel.

Sign prohibiting entry to Israeli vehicles into Area “A”.

The main roads linking Palestinian cities, including Route 60, are freely accessible and free of security controls. A Palestinian civilian can travel from Jenin to Bethlehem without encountering a single military checkpoint.

Some people who have traveled the roads in Judea and Samaria and seen barriers on the side of the road have mistaken them for checkpoints. Capt. Raz explains the surprising truth behind these barriers: they are used to saving commuters’ lives.

“Today we face more and more problems with road safety. Many residents of Palestinian villages try to take shortcuts and enter onto main roadsfrom small dirt roads beside their homes,” Capt. Raz explains. “This is dangerous for both Israeli and Palestinian drivers. Road accidents have become the leading cause of death among residents of Judea and Samaria. To counter this, we installed the barriers to restrict access [to the main roads] to other vehicles.”

 

Crossings: 9.4 million entries in 2012

Crossings are the main points of entry between Judea and Samaria and other parts of Israel. Certain crossings – such as Bituniya – are intended for the inspection and transfer of goods.

There are also crossings intended for the passage of Palestinian civilians such as those at Kalandia and Hashmonaim. These crossings have received much criticism for alleged violations of human rights. Is this criticism justified?

Who is allowed to enter and who is not?

Every Palestinian wishing to visit relatives or work inside Israel must contact the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

“Our role is to ensure the safety of every Palestinian civilian, that he or she has freedom of movement and economic access,” says the head of crossings in COGAT.

Obtaining an entry permit is a simple two-step process. Palestinians must first obtain a biometric card at any of the 31 COGAT offices in Judea and Samaria. The applicant receives the card – designed to ease waiting times at crossings – five minutes after filling out the form.

Next, one wishing to obtain permission to cross must apply to a Palestinian Authority liaison officer who makes contact with the Israeli authorities. The vast majority of applications are processed and approved within 24 hours.

There are 74 types of authorization, which vary according to the type of activity and permit duration. The two most requested permits are humanitarian permits and commercial permits.

What is the procedure at crossings once authorization is approved?

This is actually quite straightforward and would be familiar to anyone who has entered any airport in the world. Each person must first pass through a metal detector and pass their bags through a scanner, just as every Israeli citizen or tourist must at any of Israel’s train stations. At this stage, there is no physical contact with soldiers. Most Palestinians already know the procedure. Soldiers oversee everything from an isolated control room and communicate via intercom.

Left: Hashmonaim Crossing entrance. Right: Tel Aviv Central Train Station entrance.

After that, each person’s card is reviewed by a COGAT official who takes a digital fingerprint scan. Lastly, a soldier verifies that the permit is in order and authorizes entry.

“In 2012, there were 9.4 million entries at all crossings combined. This figure has been rising steadily since 2010,” says the head of crossings in COGAT.

Identity and permit verification at the Hashmonaim Crossing.

When that person returns home later on, he/she simply passes his/her magnetic card through a scanner and walks through a turnstile.

If all goes well, there is no actual contact between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. The whole procedure takes five minutes once started. However, some crossings are widely used and lines can be long. An average of 15 thousand people use the Kalandia crossing each day and the majority of those people cross in the morning. In comparison, about 35 thousand individuals go through Ben Gurion International Airport every day. It is not uncommon to see relatively long lines like those at crossings in international airports.

Left: Hashmonaim Crossing exit. Right: Tel Aviv Central Train Station.

475 Attempts to Smuggle Weapons

The various crossings and checkpoints have proven to be effective barriers against weapons smuggling and the crossing of illegal workers. In 2012, the Military Police Corps recorded a total of 475 attempts to smuggle weapons into Israel and 1,147 illegal attempts to enter Israel with forged ID cards. The Military Police and officers from the Ministry of Defense responsible for crossings have thwarted many attempted attacks and arrested dozens of people in possession of explosives. Most recently, on April 30, 2013, a 31-year-old Israeli civilian was stabbed to death at Tapuah Junction – the intersection of routes 60 and 505.

Although the situation is better than in the past, the ongoing presence of these checkpoints remains necessary. The proof is in the numbers.

Two examples of explosives and weapons seized at crossings in 2011.