Ohio Jewish Chronicle: LIBI Hero Speaks in Columbus
Gala

The History of Israel with IDF Photos

To be a pilot in the Israeli Air Force is notoriously one of the most difficult positions in the Army. Out of the thousands who apply to be pilots, only a small minority complete the pilots course and they are considered to be the elite in the Israeli Army. This picture is of graduates of the pilot's course, a long and gruelling process, but one that shows the incredible dedication of the the Israeli youth, who are willing to devote years of their life for the benefit of the country.

The Holocaust is central to the history of the Jewish State. In a country full of survivors and citizens who have lost family members, the words 'never again' are extremely potent. The Israel Defense Forces ensures that this tragedy will not occur as the Jews have an army that protect them, wherever they may be. This emotional picture shows the Israeli Air Force flying over Auschwitz - the most deadly concentration camp, showing that the Jews will never be defenceless again.

This picture, taken in the early years of the state, shows a Bedouin serving in the Israeli army. The Bedouins are still active in the army today and famously serve in the scouting units, utilizing their history and understanding of desert terrain. Ismail Khaldi, the first Bedouin vice consul of Israel and the highest ranking Muslim in the Israeli foreign service, said about the Israeli Bedouin relationship, 'I am a proud Israeli – along with many other non-Jewish Israelis such as Druze, Bahai, Bedouin, Christians and Muslims, who live in one of the most culturally diversified societies and the only true democracy in the Middle East. Like America, Israeli society is far from perfect, but let us deals honestly. By any yardstick you choose—educational opportunity, economic development, women and gay's rights, freedom of speech and assembly, legislative representation—Israel's minorities fare far better than any other country in the Middle East.'

The second Lebanon war took place in 2006 and saw Israel come head to head with Hezbollah. This picture shows Israeli soldiers returing after the war, after a UN brokered ceasefire was agreed upon. President of America George Bush said that Hezbollah was responsible for starting the war, and that the group suffered a defeat at the hands of Israel and dismissed any claims of victory by Hezbollah.
Taken in 1962, this picture shows Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defense David Ben-Gurion with IDF Commander of the Jerusalem District Colonel Yossef Nevo and Mayor of Jerusalem Mordechai Ish-Shalom at an army post on the Jerusalem Border. During that year there were several attacks, most notably in the North of the country with Syria, and two terrorist attacks on buses in the South. The Israeli army are constantly on patrol and worked round the clock then, as they do now, preventing terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.

The six day war resulted in Israel winning an immense victory and gaining strategic land on the northern and the southern borders. Perhaps the most moving area conquered was the old city and the Western Wall (pictured). The Wall is central to the Jews and is a place where all Jews, of all levels of observance, come to pray.

The 1948 War of Independence saw Israel victorious over a joint invasion by Jordan, Egypt and Syria. Israel's army at that time was comprised of four units, the main one, Haganah (pictured), went on to form the core of the IDF. This picture shows Haganah members evacuating a wounded man in Tel Aviv following heavy Egyptian bombing.

Following the outbreak of war in 1948, there was full concription of all men aged 17 - 55. The Israeli army, Israel Defense Forces, was predominantly made up of Haganah fighters, and went on to win a miraculous victory over the mighty arab armies in the war of Independence.

Chana Senesh is famous in Israeli history for her heroic efforts to save Hungarian Jews during the Second World War. Part of the Haganah, which subsequently formed the bulk of the Israeli Defense Forces, Senesh was parachuted into Yugoslavia to join partisans, but was tragically captured, brutally tortured and murdered by the Germans. Senesh refused to reveal details of her mission and until this day, is considered a pillar of courage and a heroine.

This picture shows Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Menachem Begin and several army notables watching an army parade in the Sinai in 1967. The picture was taken a few days after the six-day war, when Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, then Jordan and Syria. Within just six days, Israel captured some of the most important strategic areas including the Golan heights, East Jerusalem and the Sinai Peninsula. The war was a huge show of triumph for the Israeli army who, once again, stood strong at the hands of their arab neighbours attacking them on all sides.

Ohio Jewish Chronicle: LIBI Hero Speaks in Columbus
Gala
Donate Now