• 31 year old vehicle designer, Amir Zaid, tells of his 5 years, designing Fiats and Ferraris in Italy, and his subsequent return to Israel. He talks to us on Italian design, the Israeli defense establishment, the totally different type of vehicle he now designs, and the importance of esthetics even on the battle field! READ MORE Operations Room Pictures of the Month Personal Meeting Challenges of the Moment On the Agenda IDF Events The Olive Picking season now taking place in much of the Binyamin Regional Command of Judea and Samaria, has a tradition of being the cause for much friction between Palestinians and Israelis. Every effort is being invested to pass this Season quietly. Our IDF website correspondent accompanies a Reserve unit on patrol and hears the command of the day being “ No tolerance for harmful damage to property”. READ MORE • In an accurate operation aimed at punishing killers of Israelis, the IDF downed the two Hamas terrorists involved in the August 31st deadly shooting attack of Israelis at the Benni Naim junction. The successful operation took place last night (Oct. 8) in Hebron. The dead terrorists included a senior Hamas operative. READ MORE • Ahmad Al Ashkar, a senior-ranking member of the “Palestinian Eagles” organization suspected of being in the advanced planning of an upcoming terror attack against Israel, was eliminated by accurate IDF fire when his vehicle was hit from the air. READ MORE • The IAF identified and hit a squad of terror operatives in the Northern Gaza Strip during preparations to launch missiles into Israel. READ MORE • The IDF is committed to aid and assistance wherever necessary on the Globe. The IDF Medical Corps enjoys an edge in professionalism, knowhow and expertise. The Search and Rescue Unit of the Home Front serve diligently to save lives in countries that find themselves in humanitarian crises and natural disasters. During the year of 2010 the IDF rescue units assisted the people of “Haiti” after the massive earth quake that stroked the island. In advance the IDF rescue units assisted the people of Gujarat in India, and in 2004, the IDF sent rescue forces to assist the people of Sri-Lanka after the tsunami hit. Attached is a special review on the subject. READ MORE • The Ministry of Defense Executive Director signed the official purchase agreement on Thursday (Oct.7th) in New York, whereby the USA will provide Israel with its first F35 Fighter squadron, totaling some $2.75 Billion The deal was approved by Defense Minister Ehud Barak last August. READ MORE • Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has approved IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi’s recommendation to appoint Maj.Gen.(res.) Yair Naveh as Deputy Chief of Staff. Naveh will thus return to the service and thus replace Maj.Gen. Benny Ganz who is due to be discharged. READ MORE • As of last week, the UAV unit Sky Rider has gained its independence from its former artillery mother unit. Its goal is to strengthen IDF intelligence gathering capabilities. READ MORE • The IDF held it largest ever commander sporting championships – over 7600 men and women officers took part in the championships which took place Tuesday (Oct.6th) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi scored four victories. READ MORE October 2010 IDF Spokesperson's Unit Public Affairs Branch SUBSCRIBE to our mailing list Contact Us Check us out at:
Transcript
• 31yearoldvehicledesigner,AmirZaid,tellsofhis5years,designingFiats and Ferraris in Italy, and his subsequent return to Israel. Hetalks to us on Italian design, the Israeli defense establishment, thetotallydifferenttypeofvehiclehenowdesigns,andtheimportanceofestheticsevenonthebattlefield!READ MORE
Operations Room
Pictures of the Month
Personal Meeting
Challenges of the Moment
On the Agenda
IDF Events
TheOlivePickingseasonnowtakingplace inmuchof theBinyaminRegionalCommand of Judea andSamaria, has a tradition of beingthecause formuch frictionbetweenPalestiniansand Israelis.Everyeffort isbeing invested topass thisSeasonquietly.Our IDFwebsitecorrespondent accompaniesaReserveunit onpatrol andhears thecommand of the day being “ No tolerance for harmful damage toproperty”.READ MORE
• InanaccurateoperationaimedatpunishingkillersofIsraelis,theIDFdownedthetwoHamasterroristsinvolvedintheAugust31stdeadlyshootingattackofIsraelisattheBenniNaimjunction.Thesuccessfuloperationtookplacelastnight(Oct.8)inHebron.ThedeadterroristsincludedaseniorHamasoperative.READ MORE
• AhmadAlAshkar,asenior-rankingmemberofthe“PalestinianEagles”organization suspected of being in the advanced planning of anupcomingterrorattackagainstIsrael,waseliminatedbyaccurateIDFfirewhenhisvehiclewashitfromtheair.READ MORE
• The IDF iscommitted toaidandassistancewherevernecessaryontheGlobe.TheIDFMedicalCorpsenjoysanedgeinprofessionalism,knowhowandexpertise.TheSearchandRescueUnitoftheHomeFrontservediligentlytosavelivesincountriesthatfindthemselvesinhumanitariancrisesandnaturaldisasters.Duringtheyearof2010theIDFrescueunitsassistedthepeopleof“Haiti”afterthemassiveearthquakethatstrokedtheisland.InadvancetheIDFrescueunitsassistedthepeopleofGujaratinIndia,andin2004,theIDFsentrescueforcestoassistthepeopleofSri-Lankaafterthetsunamihit.Attachedisaspecialreviewonthesubject.READ MORE
• TheMinistryofDefenseExecutiveDirectorsignedtheofficialpurchaseagreementonThursday(Oct.7th)inNewYork,wherebytheUSAwillprovideIsraelwithitsfirstF35Fightersquadron,totalingsome$2.75BillionThedealwasapprovedbyDefenseMinisterEhudBaraklastAugust.READ MORE
• Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has approved IDF Chief of StaffAshkenazi’srecommendationtoappointMaj.Gen.(res.)YairNavehasDeputyChiefofStaff.Navehwill thusreturntotheserviceandthusreplaceMaj.Gen.BennyGanzwhoisduetobedischarged.
READ MORE
• Asoflastweek,theUAVunitSkyRiderhasgaineditsindependencefrom its former artillery mother unit. Its goal is to strengthen IDFintelligencegatheringcapabilities.READ MORE
• TheIDFhelditlargestevercommandersportingchampionships–over7600menandwomenofficerstookpartinthechampionshipswhichtookplaceTuesday(Oct.6th)ChiefofStaffLt.Gen.Ashkenaziscoredfourvictories.READ MORE
Four Israeli civiliansweremurdered ina terroristdrive-byshootingattackAugust31st,2010whiledrivingintheirvehicleonRoute60nearQiryatArba,eastofHebron.Twomenandtwowomen,oneofwhomwaspregnant,fromthenearbycommunityofBetHagaywerethevictimsofthisdeadlyattack.TheirnameswereYizhakandTaliaAimes,AvishaiShindler,andKochbaEven-Chaim.
Names of Terrorists Killed During Tonight's IDF Operation
More than 165 rockets andmortars have been fired at Israeli territory since thebeginningof2010,andover440rocketswerefiredfromtheGazaStripintoIsraelsincetheendofOperationCastLead.
TwothingsaboutAmirZaidareobviousatfirstglance:he’spassionateaboutcarsandreallyinterestedindesign.Onewasaconstantinfluenceonhislifealmostfromtheget-go:sincethelatenineties,attheendofhisstudies,heenteredtheworldofgraphicdesign.Wheninternetwasstillinitsinfancy,hewentfromstart-uptostart-upanddidgraphicdesignoncomputerscreens.Theworldofcars,hisrealpassion,remainedanunachieveddream.Infact,itwashistruepassionsincechildhood.“AlreadyatagefourIknewthenamesofeverycarinthestreet,”hesaid,“theymademecurious.Ilikedthem,Imissedthem.Butbecausethere’snoplaceforacareerinvehiclesinIsrael,Ihadtobepractical.Isettled,andcarswerepushedaside.”Andso,atage31,Amirwasatop-of-the-linegraphicdesigner,happilymarriedtoNoa,withanAlphaRomeocar,anapartmentandacatinBinyamina.Andonebrightdaythedecisionwasmade.“It’shardtoexplainwhatmademedoit,”hesaid,“butallofasuddenitwasclear–it’snowornever.SoIwentonlineandstartedthesearch.IfoundScuolaPolitecnicadiDesign,aschoolfordesigningcarsinMilan,whichofferedamaster’strackintwosemesters.TheysaidIcouldstartstudyingthereintwoweeks.IansweredthatIwouldbeveryhappytobutonlynextyear.SowewenttoItaly,traveled,checkeditout,fellinloveandreturned.Wetookayeartogetorganizedandpackedourlivesinboxes.Thenwemoved.”Thesymbiosisofdesign?“Itwasanexperiencelikenootherineveryway. First of all, it was a culture market.Thestudies,asexcitingastheywere,wereall in Italian. You quickly realize how newimmigrants feel,” Amir recalls. “It doesn’tmatter how intelligent you are, you arelostandyoustutter inaworld thatdoesn’tunderstand you. And you don’t alwaysunderstanditeither.TothisdayIdon’tknowwhat I learned insomeof thecourses,”hesaidandlaughed.“TheSymbiosisofDesign,forexample–Ihavenoidea.”“Asmallcomfortwasthatmostofthestudentswereforeigners.Theycamefromallovertheworld–England,Brazil,Australia,Greece,evenDubai.Butevenamongustherewerehugedifferences.Theprogramisforstudentswithbackgroundindesign,butwhatkindofbackgroundisanotherquestionalltogether.It’ssuperfluoustomentionthatthosewhodealtwithcardesignweredifferentfromthosewhodealtwithprintandgraphicdesign,likeme.”“TherewerepointswhenIwonderedforamoment if Imadeamistake.Ididn’tgotherejustfortheexperience,Ireallywantedtosucceed.Buttherewasanadvantagetomygeneralignorance.Thepeoplewhocamewithpreviousexperienceincardesignweremostlyfixedinandstuckonacertaintypeofthinking.Ihadtonsofroomtogrowandlearn,”hesaid.“Irememberbeingmesmerizedbysomeoftheprofessors,thrilledtobelearning.DuringtheyearIdevelopedabilitiesintherealmof3Dmodels.Whenwepresentedourfinalprojects,whichweredoneincollaborationwithLamborghini,oneoftheprofessionalcrewmembersofthecompanyapproachedmeandsaid‘yourmodelisthemostsensibleoneIsawhere’.Ididn’tgetajobofferrightaway,buttheyearendedwithafeelingofaccomplishment.Afeelingof‘Ididit.’”Therecession–likerealityTV
Thefollowingmorningheguardedtheorchardswithhisadvancecommandteam."Werethereanyargumentsbetweenthegroups?"heaskshisreservists."Everythingwasquiet"theyrespond.Lt.Col.Eliyahucontinueson towards theorchardsandasks theharvesters influentArabichoweverything is. "Everything iscalm. Icametopickolivesuntilfouro'clock.Thesoldiersarefineandsoaretheresidents,"thePalestinianharvesteranswered.Hecontinuestoexplainaboutthisyear'sharvestandaboutthegrowthinthisyear'scrop,evenexplainingthespecificolivesthatheisharvestingtothesoldiers.
TheHeadReservesOfficer,Brig.Gen.ShukiBen-Anat,arrived tovisit thePatrollingBattalionof theCarmeliReservesBrigadeatwork.Hespoke to IDFWesbite,describing the training that reservistsmustundergo toworkwith thecivilianPalestinianpopulation."Areservistissomeonewhohasexperiencedlife.Hehasclearthoughtsandgoodjudgmentandhecandealwithfriction.Thereisanadvantagetohavingmaturityandexperience."
“ThisisahistoriceventandanewerainIsrael’ssecurityandstrategicstrengthwhichwillallowIsraeltomaintainitsmilitaryqualitativeedgeinordertocopewiththechallengesbothnearandfarformanyyears;thedealalsoholdstremendousimportance for the national economy through the manufacturer’s commitment to purchase billions of dollars worth ofequipmentfromIsraeliindustries”,theCEOoftheDefenseMinistrysaidduringtheconference.
It’sofficial:onOctober10th,thenewunitRochevHashamayimwasdeclaredcompletelyindependent.Ataceremonyheld for theoccasionattended,amongothers,byGOCArmyHeadquartersCommander,Maj.Gen.SamiTurgeman,andPalmachimIAFbaseCommander,Brig.Gen.ItayReiss,theunit’snewsymbolwasrevealed:awingedhorsewithaswordinthebackground.
“RochevHashamayim’s function is toequip the regimentcommanderandothercommanderswithvideo recordings”,explainedLt.EliyahKeffah,DeputyCommanderof theOperationalCompany in theRochevHashamayimunit. “Theteamsaretrainedforvariousmissions,withthegoalofencouragingtheenlistmentofmanymoresoldiers.”
TheHeadof theCombatFitnessDivision,Col.Dr.AviMoyal told IDFWebsite before the competitions that “this is thefulfillmentofadream.Theimprovementsbeingundertakeninthisfieldbythearmyareunparalleledintheworld.Weviewthisdayasapivotaleventoftheyear.ItwarmsthehearttoseethattheIDFanditscommandersaretakingtheissueoffitnessseriously”.
