by Justine Hemmestad
5-2-24
In my last Israel At War article about an exceptional Iowan who volunteered in Israel, it was mentioned that Israel has the fourth best army in the world (as reported in US News and World Report). I wondered if my friend Major Itamar Ben David might disagree with that placement, so I learned more about what makes the IDF so exceptional.
The New York Post reports that John Spencer, chair of the Urban Warfare Studies Modern War Institute at West Point told Fox News that, “Israel has taken more steps to avoid harming civilians than any other military in history.”
The IDF further, “maintains the security of Israeli citizens every single day but our activities aim to contribute to the overall safety of civilians everywhere.” This in large part explains the sense of safety Jayne Sandler felt so strongly in Israel.
Israel is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and the IDF states, “People from every corner of Israel, every religion and walk of life, come together in order to serve in the IDF.”
In fact, Israel has one of the first militaries to allow women to fight on the front lines.
The IDF is one of the most battle-hardened armies, as well as one of the most technologically advanced. Israel was one of the first to develop combat drones deployed by AI on the battlefield. They’ve also blasted a missile out of the edge of space. And the IDF is known to be a world leader in intelligence.
A key to their effectiveness is the fact that while most armies are weighed down by hierarchy and traditions, the IDF is not - rather, they “do what works over doing things by the book.”
An example of this ‘out of the box’ thinking of the IDF is a group of soldiers, who, released from duty long ago, commissioned 24 out of service tanks to create a battalion they dubbed Phoenix. Numerous volunteers and reservists answered the call to serve in the battalion, which has since fought in Gaza.
The idea for Phoenix was conceived by a Major in the IDF reserves, Dan Levit, and perpetuated by tech specialists in the IDF.
Master Sgt. (res.) Amir Sabah said of the battalion, “If there’s anyone I would want to go out to battle with, it’s these guys.”
Cpt. (res.) Danny Luria also said, “I think of Harry Potter. The first time Harry sees that Dumbledore’s phoenix is dead, he can’t believe it. And then, when it’s reborn, it turns back into a phoenix, better than ever, a phoenix that flies and heals and fights.”
“It’s part of what we are as a country,” he added. “We went through what was perhaps the worst thing possible, and from that, you see this rebirth.”
Another key reason for the Israeli army’s excellence is its medical care.
The IDF breaks records in life-saving response to war injuries,” reports Yoav Zitun of YNet News.
Zitun reports that from the time of injury to hospital for an Israeli soldier has been cut drastically, so much so that its highest ranking medical corps officers have briefed NATO, and other allied forces, on how they’ve minimized fatalities in the Gaza war.
The medical corps adapted changes that include, “deployment of highly trained doctors with fighting units” and removal to a hospital quickly. Approximately 670 doctors are with the fighting units, which improves the quality of care.
Wounded soldiers are cared for by a doctor within four minutes of their injury, and the focus is on removal of the soldier from the field quickly by armored vehicles. Transport time averages one hour and six minutes.
Approximately 300 Israeli soldiers and 40 medics have been killed in Gaza since war began. 4,200 soldiers have been attended by doctors in the field. And 60 soldiers per day were evacuated.
The New York Post also reports on five specific Israeli soldiers who “endured unspeakable horrors” in battle against Hamas, then came to New York as part of a delegation from Belev Echad (a New York charity that has assisted over 1,000 wounded soldiers since 10-7) to talk about the heroism of fellow soldiers. One of the IDF soldiers, “saved a wounded medic by pushing his brains back into his skull.”
While 15% of wounded die in other world armies, only 6% die in Israel.
“The main reason we’ve been successful is the immediate medical attention that wounded soldiers receive.”
It is unknown if this medical success will be repeated on Israel’s northern border, however, due to the complexities of South Lebanon and Hezbollah. Helicopters would not have the same freedom to operate as they did in Gaza.
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