Intelligence operations are best kept secrets. Their details remain clandestine, at times for years and at times forever. That is the way every defense apparatus operates, and the Israel Defense Forces are no different.
If information is power, which is the premise of the digital age, information leaks spell the loss of power and may cost lives. This is why the secrecy surrounding such intelligence operations – inside and outside of the military – is so fiercely protected.
This is also the nature of the covert operations carried out near Israel's borders, let alone deep in enemy territory, which is why the world of special operations is out of bounds not only for the general public but also for many in the defense establishment itself.
The Mossad intelligence agency and the Shin Bet security agency both keep classified operational activity on a need-to-know basis with respect to other units in the organizations; the Police Counterterrorism Unit operates separately from other units in the force, and only a few are privy to the secrets harbored by the military's special forces.
Information about covert operations or special forces units usually becomes public only when something goes wrong and an operation goes awry or results in casualties. The success stories remain clandestine and for the most part, go unnoticed by the public.
This is why the rare glimpse afforded to Israel Hayom's readers into the inner working of these units is such an unusual event. No journalist, let alone photographer, has ever had such unmitigated access to the IDF's top reconnaissance and commando units. Convincing the officers and soldiers to step into the spotlight was no easy feat, as most of them feel more comfortable facing off an enemy agent than they do meeting a reporter.
Moreover, many of them believe that not only does any media exposure go against their training, it could potentially compromise them operationally.
One could argue that the "special unit" designation has been eroded in recent years, as it seems it is handed out far more frequently than in the past, but the Israeli military numbers only four elite units: Sayeret Matkal, its top special forces unit; Shaldag ("Kingfisher"), the Israeli Air Force commando unit; the Shayetet 13 naval commandos; and Unit 669, which carries out heliborne search, rescue and extraction missions.
While the former three are combat units, the latter is a specialized unit whose troops undergo unique professional training. Unlike the commandos, Unit 669 troops do not conduct raids or engage enemy combatants. They do, however, come to the rescue – any rescue, anywhere, anytime, including under fire in enemy territory.
Tip of the spear
The origins of Sayeret Matkal are traced back to 1954 and the founding of Unit 101, the IDF's first special forces unit. Sayeret Matkal is akin to the United States Army's Delta Force and the British Army SAS Force, after which it was modeled. The aura surrounding Sayeret Matkal is nothing short of legendary, and while what little the public knows about its operations has to do with its rare failures, in reality, the ground forces' elite commando unit has marked numerous successes.
Unlike most other units, Sayeret Matkal's operations are never improvised, but rather are carried out only following meticulous planning based on extensive intelligence gathering. Reconnaissance is also one of its primary objectives and according to foreign media, it also plants measures – some of which are developed exclusively for its use – that help various Military Intelligence branches gather the information they need.
Missions sometimes require weeks of preparations and every detail and contingency are accounted for and drilled via simulations. When the unit prepares for a particularly complex mission, its simulations are scrutinized by the top military echelon and at times, the political echelon as well. The lieutenant colonel who commands Sayeret Matkal also frequently meets with the defense minister and prime minister – a testament to the sensitivity of the unit's work.
The commandos' training is extensive, but the unit does not engage in routine operational activity. Sayeret Matkal, whose operations are usually carried out in the enemy's rear, is called in only when its troops' unique skill set is required or in times of war. For example, it was called in during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, to sweep the terror tunnel used by Hamas to abduct the remains of Givati Brigade Lt. Hadar Goldin.
Unlike the IAF and naval commandos, Sayeret Matkal is not a strike force. The quality of its troops allows it to carry out any mission, but its true prowess lies in counterterrorism, and it is credited with world-renowned counterterrorism operations, such as Operation Entebbe in 1976; Operation Isotope in 1972, better known as the Sabena Flight 571 hostage crisis; and the 1975 Savoy Hotel hostage crisis.
While in recent years the Police Counterterrorism Unit has taken center stage, no one doubts that if need be, Sayeret Matkal will be there and no one doubts it will continue to cement its iconic status.
Stealth strike
Shaldag, the IAF's commando unit, was founded in 1974 and operates in a manner similar to that of combat control teams in the United States Air Force.
The unit has the most modest history among the IDF's elite forces, and while it may not enjoy the same heroic aura as Sayeret Matkal, Shaldag troops are very busy in time of peace and doubly so in times of war. Officially designated as "the IAF's reconnaissance and strike unit," its troops are involved in almost every military campaign or war.
Shaldag troops carried out more missions than all other special forces units combined during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, but only one of them gained notoriety: a raid on a hospital in the city of Baalbek that was being used as headquarters by the Hezbollah terrorist group.
The precise objectives of the raid remain classified, but it is believed it placed the troops in harm's way unnecessarily and to no real aim. Both the top military and political echelons were criticized for it, as it appeared they sought to mark operational achievements at all costs to dim the overall failures of the war.
This does not take away from the dozens of successful operations the troops carried out during the campaign. Shaldag was the first unit to enter Lebanon during the first day of fighting and it was the last to leave when the war ended. The same is true for all other major military campaigns in recent decades, from Operation Accountability (1993) and Operation Grapes of Wrath (1996) in southern Lebanon, to operations Cast Lead (2008), Pillar of Defense (2012) and Protective Edge (2014) in the Gaza Strip.
As a special forces unit, Shaldag's distinct advantage is in the fact it is a "one-stop shop," meaning it can handle every stage of the mission, from intelligence gathering and operational planning to execution, and with the logistic and operational backing of the IAF, it can get anywhere, anytime.
The unit was formed in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, as a means for the IAF to boost its intelligence gathering abilities. Foreign media claims Shaldag's main objective is to provide ground support to the air force, mostly by marking targets ahead of airstrikes.
But the unit's advanced capabilities is why its troops participate in more mundane operations that are usually not part of regular special forces' missions, such as raids across Judea and Samaria or scouting for terror tunnels on the Israel-Gaza border.
As the IAF has been tasked with hedging the strategic threats Israel faces, Shaldag's future is assured, and the air force is bound to need its special forces unit on the ground.
Still waters run deep
The Israeli Navy has several combat formations, but only one is considered the corps' top commando unit.
Shayetet 13 was formed in 1949 and specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counterterrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue and boarding. As such, the naval commandos are trained for sea, air and land action and have taken part in almost all of Israel's wars.
A former commander of the naval commandos once said that there was no enemy shore, near or far, that the unit's fighters had not visited. The ethos of Shayetet 13 is simple – leave no mark behind. They pride themselves on going unseen and unheard, and if, by chance, anything is inadvertently left behind, they go back and get it.
Shayetet 13's escapades can be traced back to the Palmach, the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground paramilitary organization of the Jewish community during the British Mandate of Palestine. It is also considered the toughest unit in the entire military, as the physical challenges it poses are the most grueling. The result is a versatile unit whose troops wield a wealth of skills, some exclusively their own.
Over the years, some operations have proven more successful than others: The 2002 interception of Karine A, carrying 50 tons of weapons, including short-range rockets, antitank missiles, and high explosives to Gaza was a resounding success, while the 2010 raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara, though successful, was clouded by the fact that it involved civilian casualties and the damage it caused Israel's international image was very serious.
Alongside their clandestine operations, the naval commandos also take on the grunt work, mostly in Judea and Samaria. When the Second Intifada erupted, naval commandos were the first to deploy, logging in more operational hours on land than at sea, and their contribution to quelling terrorism was invaluable.
Such a robust operational record, however, comes with a heavy price and the unit is no stranger to losses. The unit sustained one of the most devastating losses in its history in 1997, when 11 commandos and an auxiliary fighter were killed when a raid in Lebanon went awry.
The future of Shayetet 13 is also guaranteed, for the mere reason that it is irreplaceable.
The IDF's increased focus on the "campaign between the wars" – a term that encompasses a host of covert and low-intensity military and intelligence efforts to prevent enemy entities from becoming stronger – and the need to operate in farther arenas and the growing intensity of special operations all but ensure the naval commandos will be called upon in the years to come.
To the rescue
In 1972 two Phantom fighter jets collided off Israel's coast. Three crewmen survived but the fourth drowned and his body was never recovered. The commission of inquiry established following the incident recommended a unit be formed to specialize in rescuing airmen who had to eject, and so Unit 669 was born.
Since its inception, the unit has rescued thousands of Israelis, the majority of them civilians, and it is credited with dozens of operational rescues.
But the unit was not involved in perhaps one of the most painful incidents in the IAF's history: the 1986 downing of a Phantom jet by Amal terrorists during in operation over Sidon, Lebanon. Pilot Yishai Aviram and navigator Ron Arad ejected, but while a wounded Aviram was extracted, Arad was taken captive, never to be heard from again.
Unit 669 is the only special forces unit to include women. While none of the female members of the unit serve in combat roles, it is not unthinkable for a doctor to find herself flying off to an undisclosed location in the Middle East as part of a rescue mission mounted in the middle of the night.
For the greater good
The prolonged training and service allow the members of all of the IDF's elite units to engage in community outreach projects that involve both regular servicemen and reservists.
Sayeret Matkal alumni, for example, logged more than 20,000 volunteering hours in 2017, with an average of five weekly hours from each of them, organized by the unit's veterans' association.
The IAF and naval commando units also pitch in, with alumni committing to some 130 of volunteering hours a year each.
Former Sayeret Matkal commandos have recently begun storming the world of public diplomacy, countering the damage done by various anti-Israel groups worldwide. Shaldag veterans, for their part, pride themselves on mentoring new recruits in the military.
This activity enables the special forces to continue in leadership roles in civilian life, but just like while in uniform, here, too, mum's the word. It is all part of the ethos of contributing to the country and society without asking for praise, fanfare or credit.
