How to Clear Minefields: A Guide | Israel Defense Forces.

 1) Enter the minefield with a small team of sappers, and with the use of mine-detecting devices, clear a path across the field by discovering the first mine is every row. Mark the path with white tape to minimize risk of anyone walking out of line. Designate the exact location of the mines with special devices placed on the ground above them.

This step 1 would be problematic in most countries and would lead to a lawyer suffering a nervous breakdown upon learning that it had been published.

2) Meanwhile, prepare the explosives that will be used to detonate the existing mines via another team positioned outside the field .

Again, would need a hand number of “don’t try this at home” warnings and perhaps a Blue Peter style “please get an adult to help you with the explosives”. I particularly like the handy hint of preparing the explosives outside of the existing minefield: that’s a good safety tip children!

3) Withdraw from the field to take the explosives from the other team, then enter the field again to plant them in strategic locations.

You put your left leg in, your left leg out….

4) Connect all the explosives with a special fuse, then wire them to the mines themselves.

5) Back away at least one kilometer.

Two, maybe three, be generous.

6) Detonate the minefield.

7) After you’ve calmed down a little, return to scan the field for surviving mines, and start over.

Thankfully you don’t have to, ‘cos these guys do it for you:

In his latest post, Omar speaks of the reactions he has encountered.

Last October I published a post on the importance of lies in the Arab world via the internet. Most of it was images that were distorted through cropping or misleading or false description intended to fool the Arab reader and to spread more hatred and resentment. Hatred and bigotry already fill Arab societies, and we certainly don’t need more.

Among these images there was a picture that has been in the news for the last 48 hours. The picture was cropped from a wider image and published as an “Israeli soldier” trampling a “Palestinian girl”, and many people were fooled by it. The picture went viral online, especially on Arabic websites and forums. Each of the websites added their own spices to it, adding more and more hate-filled and hostile captions next to it.

Before I published the post in October, I made many attempts on Facebook to explain the truth about the fake picture. I went to several pages that published the cropped version of the image, and I posted a link to the original image with a brief explanation of the contradictions of the image. Such as, the weapon carried by the “soldier” is not used by the Israeli army, and his uniform and boots and other things do not match the Israeli army uniforms. The result was that I got banned from all those groups and pages, and the link I posted was removed within the speed of light.

I realized then that the issue wasn’t a simple misunderstanding, but deliberate process to spread hate and resentment. That’s something we don’t need more of it in the Middle East. Realizing this was a deliberate lie meant to sew hatred, I felt compelled, as if it was a duty for any decent human, to expose this lie along with other fake images I had in a special folder I was planning to publish as soon as possible.

I published the post and the initial feedback from my blog readers was a very positive one. The post didn’t reach many people at the beginning, but I noticed many people started using it to counterfeit the fake image that was still spreading rapidly in Arab sites, though not outside the Arab world.

All that changed a few days ago, when a Facebook user uploaded the image with English captions this time, saying “an Israeli soldier tramples on the chest of a Palestinian girl” and that was the beginning of the storm. Since the album of this person was a public one, the image spread on Facebook like wildfire, and I went and posted a link to my post in his comments space below the image, and that was the last comment ever made, because he removed the image few minutes later. The link I posted gained more than 100 ‘likes’ in less than 10 minutes! Because of this he rushed to remove the image, but it was already too late.

Following that, a major campaign started – using my post- to explain the truth about the picture, and several International news sites spoke of my blog and the comments I made. Specifically citing my caption “Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet”. The most important newspapers who spoke of the incident were Haaretz (Both English and Hebrew versions) and the Los Angeles Times, not to mention hundreds of other sites and personal blogs.

I felt very happy that my blog had a pivotal role in exposing this lie and removing the confusion, especially considering my blog’s mission was always to “fight hate in the world”, and this made me very proud. What made me even happier is the huge amount of support and “thank you” comments and emails that I received on the blog’s email and the blog’s Facebook page. That proved to me there are many who seek a peaceful Middle East, despite the difficulties and the preachers of hate.

Of course enemies of peace and freedom didn’t miss this opportunity to try to undermine me and the work I do. That’s because they don’t want any kind of peace or coexistence in the Middle East. They live on the blood of innocent people and the continuation of hate and wars. Their response as usual, came in the form of insults, showing their true moral and intellectual level, and personal threats to me showing their fear of the truth. Some bloggers tried to attack me in a very childish and immature way.

One of these people is a professor (Yes, a PROFESSOR!) at an American university in California. He calls himself the “Angry Arab” and his real name is As’ad AbuKhalil . He wrote about Mr. Daniel Pipes, me and the work I do in a very pathetic way, and I had to ask myself while reading his piece, “This person holds a degree?? Not just one degree but a PhD??” As soon as I checked his background I realized I was dealing with a sad human being, and that I shouldn’t stoop to his level. But, I would just like to remind him; I’m an Arab and I live in the Arab world. I have enough courage to express my views, while he is under his bed in California badmouthing people who are fighting the hate and anti-Semitism in the Arab world, the kind of ideas it seems he is spreading in the United States Universities.

This person is a good example of the type of people who call themselves “Pro-Palestinian”. They want to force their views on everyone, and attack anyone who doesn’t stand on their side even attacking neutrality. They want more and more freedom to continue spreading lies and encouraging terrorism, and people like me can stand in the way of that.

How could the United States educational system allow such types of people who are anti-Peace and pro-Hate to continue teaching the American youth and brainwashing them, then say they are fighting the home made terrorism? It’s really frustrating to see such terrorist sympathizers with prestigious jobs.

My mission will go on. The truth will be triumphant.

Amen, brother.

I suggest you all check out Omar’s blog here. His About page makes for some very interesting reading. Excerpt:

Currently, I’m studying Political science and International relations, and also working as a Marketing Specialist in the field of Information Technology. I’m a volunteer in the United Nations Online Volunteering program since 2006, and an International member of Amnesty International. I also work as a Team Leader of the Arab World edition of “Youth Leader” Magazine, where I worked as a translator for a short period of time too. I’m now also working as a translator for Mr. Daniel Pipes (The famous American historian). I speak Arabic, English, Maltese and Algerian Arabic. I’m also trying to learn Hebrew.

I’m an amateur Photographer working my way to become a Professional one someday, and I like to draw and create digital arts sometimes too. I love animals, especially dogs (Siberian Huskies and German Shepard’s). I read a lot and I love video gaming (Full-time gamer over here!). My favorite Music genres are New Age Music, Euro dance and Trance Music, Mizrahi Music and Jewish Music in general, and I also enjoy Classics and all kinds of good music.

—-

I’m a hardcore fan of the United States of America, and I proudly consider myself Pro-American and I work on fighting hate and lies against the United States in the Middle East and the World. I write for Peace and for a better future for the human kind, and also to spread liberal thoughts and fight hate and ignorance in the Arab world.

If only there were more people in the world like Omar; we’d likely have attained peace by now.

Read it from left to right, top to bottom

• “An Israeli soldier inappropriately touches a Palestinian girl”
• “An Israeli soldier inappropriately touches a Palestinian cat”
• “An Israeli soldier grabs an old Palestinian”
• “An Israeli soldier poisons a Palestinian kid”
• “An Israeli soldier kicks a Palestinian kid in the ball”
• “An Israeli soldier drops a Palestinian kid”
• “An Israeli soldier is involved in illegal gambling with a Palestinian kid”
• “An Israeli soldier pushes an elderly Palestinian against the wall”

Many already suspected this not to be the case, since that is not what an IDF uniform looks like, and the weapon – a Kalashnikov AK47 - is not IDF issue. Plus the IDF already denied its authenticity last year, after an investigation.

But in order to put this libel to rest once and for all, I can confirm the photo is not of an IDF soldier and palestinian girl. Rather, it is of actors playing an IDF soldier and palestinian girl during street theater in Bahrain, taken in December 2009 (hat tip: EoZ)

If you come across this pernicious lie, you can now point people to the truth.

Can you guess the real caption?

a) IDF soldiers guard a group of refugees about to be deported from Israel back to their war-torn land of origin

b) IDF soldiers detain a group of international peace activists

And the answer is…

c) These great people flew all the way from Japan to Israel for a breakfast with Lt. Col. Dr. Ofir Cohen-Maron this morning, so they could thank him in person for the efforts of the IDF’s medical delegation in Minamisanriku, Japan after it was struck by disaster in April 2011.

Can a person be both Arab and Zionist? The answer appears to be yes.

Ask Shirin Shlian, a 20-year-old IDF soldier from one of the Galilee’s Arab villages, whose job in the Israeli army is to encourage high school students to enlist – and better yet, to join combat units.
 
While many Jewish youngsters are doing their best to evade military service, the story of the Shlian family sounds pretty unbelievable: Shirin isn’t the only one serving in the IDF – her brother is a major in a combat unit and another brother served in the Border Guard.

“Many Arabs and Jews ask me why I joined the IDF,” Shirin tells her friends in the northern city of Nazareth Illit. “Especially Jews who hear that I’m an Arab and don’t understand what business I have in the army and why I enlisted.

“It must be the good education I received at home. I smile to everyone and don’t argue with anyone.”

Shirin was drafted several months ago and underwent a youth instructors’ course. As part of her job, the visits high schools in Nazareth Illit and talks to with 11th and 12th graders about enlisting in the army.

“I give the students a lesson about the first draft notice, IDF enlistment and the jobs the army has to offer. In addition, I hold personal conversations with each student with the aim of encouraging them to have a significant and contributing service.

“The students applaud me for my decision to volunteer, enlist – and make a contribution to the State.”

The reason the movie took that name is because “Follow Me!” (“Acharai!” in Hebrew) is embedded in the ethos of the IDF officer – to lead his men into battle from the front and not from behind. In particular, it is a hallowed tradition (and part of the slogan) of the Tzanchanim – the Paratroopers.

Today in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Tzanchanim celebrated another part of their unit’s proud history – liberating the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordanian hands, during the 1967 Six Day War – by marching proudly through the Ir Ha’atika.

Jewish pride in Jerusalem: 90 recruits of the paratroopers marched on Thursday evening through Jerusalem’s Old City.

The recruits, who were waving their unit’s flag during the march, sang “Am Yisrael Chai” and Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah”.

The young soldiers made stops in the City of David and the Mount of Olives. Their final stop was the Western Wall.

Update: Bonus feature, starring some attractive young soldiers.

As I tweeted a few hours ago,  my first day as a Lone Soldier in the Israel Defense Forces was during Chanukah, 1991.

My day started with an early-morning walk through a near-empty Machane Yehuda Market, passing by a smattering of shopkeepers who were unlocking their stalls and preparing their wares for the busy day ahead.

As my gait settled into a rhythm on the way to the Jerusalem Beit Hachayal (Soldier’s House), my newly-purchased chimidan (kitbag/backpack for personal items) shifted on my back with each step. Though I wasn’t yet wearing a uniform, I was reminded of the “Do Wah Diddy” scene in Stripes, but I quickly remembered the personal gravity of the moment, and I used the rest of my walk to reflect on the impending realization of a dream.

While the day was truly memorable, it was also a blur. I reminded myself to take mental snapshots as the day unfolded, but for the most part, it was kinda like this:

But not everything was quite so fleeting. Toward the end of that exhausting, exhilarating day, there was one enduring Bakum (Induction Base) experience that I can recall as vividly as if it happened last year. So memorable, in fact, that it was voted Most Likely to be Blogged About 20 Years Later.

After dinner, our motley crew of new recruits was standing outside one of the buildings, waiting to hear a presentation from the commander of one of the special forces. Since the previous group was running a bit behind schedule, our commanders spontaneously decided to pass the time by leading us in a round of Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages). As I stood there on my very first night wearing the uniform of the army of the Jewish State, proudly singing Chanukah songs with my fellow Jewish soldiers, I had myself a merry little Ferlklempt-a-Palooza™ .

During my time in the IDF, I was proud to serve side-by-side with Druze, Bedouin and Circassian soldiers in the defense of the State of Israel and all of its citizens. But this moment was a melodious reminder that after millenia of existing at the whims of Crusaders and Inquisitors, Caliphs and Sultans, despots and dictators, the Jewish people were once again in charge of our own safety and security, in our historic homeland.

It was also a personal reminder that no matter where I served, from the border of Lebanon until the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea until the approach of the Arava, on land, in the air, and on the sea, although I was a Lone Soldier, I wasn’t alone…I was home.

Chag Sameach!

Happy Chanukah!

Former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi