Sayeret Matkal
Israeli-media coverage mentioning Sayeret Matkal, translated into English and compared across sources. 23 recent stories.
Netanyahu tells court rumors of pancreatic cancer amounted to a death sentence
Benjamin Netanyahu testified in a Tel Aviv defamation case over claims about his health, denying reports that he had pancreatic cancer and saying he was not terminally ill. The ca…
Israeli Teenage Girls Surge Into Combat-Prep Courses After October 7
The article describes a growing wave of Israeli teenage girls training for combat roles since October 7. It follows several girls preparing for elite IDF units and says women now…
Smotrich Slams IDF Chief Over Exclusion of Eli Yeshiva Head
Bezalel Smotrich accused IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir of deepening a rift with religious-Zionist leaders by excluding Rabbi Yigal Levinstein from a meeting on religious soldiers…
Minute by Minute: How the Army Realized Gilad Shalit Had Been Abducted
Israel’s Military Archives has released minute-by-minute logs from the morning Gilad Shalit was abducted near Kerem Shalom in 2006. The records show when the army realized a soldi…
IDF Chief’s Exclusion of Yigal Levinstein Sparks Protest from Religious Zionist Leaders
Tensions between the IDF and religious Zionist leaders escalated after Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir excluded Rabbi Yigal Levinstein from a meeting on integrating yeshiva students int…
257 Female Officers Warn Israel’s Top Command Over Excluding Women From Combat
257 current and former IDF women officers warned Israel’s top defense leadership that efforts to exclude women from combat are harming the army’s chain of command. They called for…
IDF Special Forces Map Explained, and Why the New Haredi Brigade Changes the Rules
Gidi Cohen, founder of "Kal BeKarav," explained the structure of IDF special forces, the new Hashmonaim brigade, and the physical demands of combat service. He also warned that yo…
Hutovely appoints Noam Shapira to head the National Information Headquarters after 3.5-year vacancy
Tzipi Hotovely named Noam Shapira as head of Israel’s National Information Headquarters on Tuesday, filling a post left vacant for about 3.5 years. Shapira, 44, is a reserve lieut…
American Pilot Describes Iran’s New Drone Swarm as a 'Minefield in the Sky'
An American pilot rescued from Iran said he saw advanced Iranian drones flying together in a “jellyfish formation.” The account, reported by CNN, raises concerns about a major Ira…
Four yeshiva students refuse a transport with tank commanders during training
Four yeshiva students in Israel refused to board a transport carrying female tank commanders, briefly delaying the ride until commanders intervened. The episode comes amid a large…
Viewers React Strongly to Fauda Episodes Recounting October 7
Yes warned viewers that Fauda episodes 7 and 8 would depict October 7 and might be difficult to watch. After the episodes aired, many viewers reacted with shock, anger, and praise…
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein Urges Religious Students to Avoid Sayeret Matkal
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David academy in Eli, called on religious students not to enlist in Sayeret Matkal. He said the elite unit has become mixed with female fi…
The Songs That Arose From the Entebbe Raid, 50 Years On
Fifty years after the Entebbe raid, the article traces the songs it inspired in Israel, the Jewish diaspora, and Uganda. It highlights "Eretz Tzvi," "Tzevet Yoni," and "Victory En…
Two Army Officers, 50 Years Apart, Remembered for Courage and Sacrifice
A Hebrew column compares Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, killed in the 1976 Entebbe raid, with Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimon, buried Friday after dying in southern Lebanon. It portrays both…
Race for IDF Top Posts Narrows as Zamir Midway Through Term
The IDF is nearing decisions on its top command appointments as Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reaches midterm. Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor is emerging as the likely next deputy chief of staf…
Family Seeks Court Approval to Use Fallen Soldier's Sperm
The parents of Staff Sgt. Itay Azulai, killed in southern Lebanon at 25, are seeking court approval to use his preserved sperm. They say he had asked months earlier to have a chil…
Former Tank Tester Warns Women Tank Crews Could Suffer Serious Health Harm
Former tank examiner Shimon Shterk says women serving in tank units face overlooked health risks from heavy lifting and repeated ammunition handling. In a Channel 7 interview, he…
Rabbi Levinstein Says Army's Female Tank Pilot Is a Pretext for Wider Integration
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein told Channel 7 that the IDF’s female armored-unit pilot is a pretext for wider mixed-gender combat integration. He said the army is lowering standards, enda…
19 pre-army yeshiva heads tell students to avoid mixed-gender combat units
Nineteen heads of pre-army religious Zionist programs have urged their students not to serve in mixed-gender combat units. The call follows a similar letter from hesder yeshiva le…
Report Raises Concerns Over Disproportionate Dismissals of Religious Trainees in Sayeret Matkal
Channel 7 reports claims of unusually high dismissal rates for religious trainees in Sayeret Matkal, including 10 of 11 removed in one round. The dismissals were reportedly tied i…
From the Child Left on the Bus to the Guide Who Brings Others Along
Daniel Stark Brilliant, who was once left behind on school trips because of his disability, now leads adventure hikes for children with disabilities through Etgarim. He helped a 1…
IDF Spokesperson Accused of Softening the Truth Over Women in Combat Roles
Rabbi Dror Arie accuses the IDF spokesperson of using euphemistic language to conceal lowered standards in efforts to integrate women into combat units, including Sayeret Matkal a…
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein Says Sayeret Matkal Has Become Like Caracal
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein published a harsh criticism of the integration of women into Sayeret Matkal, saying it lowers operational standards and shifts the unit's priorities away fr…
