PALMACHIM AIR FORCE BASE, Israel — The Israeli air force unveiled its newest unmanned aircraft Wednesday, saying the plane can fly longer, faster and higher than any other surveillance aircraft. The drone, called the Heron, already saw combat during last summer’s war in Lebanon, where Israeli officials said a prototype performed well, seeking out Hezbollah arms and directing airstrikes. The … Read More
TZEELIM MILITARY BASE, Israel — Under the cover of thick smoke, a Muslim call to prayer sounding in the background, the masked Israeli commandos stormed a concrete building and “killed” two soldiers posing as Hezbollah guerrillas. Monday’s drill was accompanied by simulated helicopter, tank and rocket fire, but it was the setting that really made it realistic — a mock … Read More
JERUSALEM — Israel’s shadowy security service is looking for a few good geeks. Normally shrouded in secrecy, the Shin Bet launched its first-ever public recruitment drive last week, unveiling a slick Web site and buying online ads in Israel and abroad in a campaign aimed at attracting topflight computer programmers to its cutting-edge tech division. The campaign is aimed at … Read More
KIBBUTZ KEREM SHALOM, Israel _ Palestinian militants sneaked into Israel underneath a Gaza border crossing Sunday, killed two Israeli soldiers and captured another, raising the threat of an all-out conflict in Gaza just a year after Israel’s pullout. Israel, which sent ground troops into Gaza after the assault, blamed the Hamas-led government and warned that militants and their leaders will be … Read More
JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) — Can Israel afford to hand its nuclear briefcase to a man who spent much of his brief and unremarkable military service fixing tanks? The country is embroiled in a heated debate over whether Labor Party leader Amir Peretz, picked as Israel’s next defense minister, has the credentials for one of the nation’s most high-stress jobs — one … Read More