Ok, lets make some order....

Airborne Eagle wrote:

They have a better knowledge of the terrain, they have modern equipment, a motivated population, defensible positions, a powerful air force, a fantastic intelligence network (military and covert) and have received billions to tens of billions in US aid.

Sounds right. The defnsible postions issue is arguable...The Egyptian border is very long, with no mines, fences, or AT trenches at all. The Palestinians are right on us, and there is great diffeculty with keeping them out.

Oh, and they've really not faced a truly determined (conventional) fight yet.

Well, I dont know about that. The Arab attack in 73 was extremely determined, and so was thew Jordanian defence of Jerusalem in 67. The Syrains were very determined in 82.

godofthunder9010 wrote:

Their opponents have been plenty determined but generally not as well equipped as Israel and not nearly as well trained. Still, by shear numerical advantage, it SHOULD have made up for what they lacked in equipment, but it didn't.

As to training, you most correct. As to the equippment, Im not so sure. Up to the mid 70s, the equippment was prettey much equal. Sometimes Israel was under-equipped.


GuyontheRight wrote:

They have God on their side, the '67 war proved that. Go ahead and laugh, but It is a legitamite argument based on the evidence of what Israel had faced.

"God is on the side with the best artillary"

Big_Z wrote:

I agree with Airborne, they havent fought a strong military yet just poorly trained men with not the greatest equipment. I do think they would do well verse a real enemy tho. Their training is up there with the brits and Americans which is what makes them what they are.

Well, again I think your history book is diffrent then mine... Israel fought wars with countrys much larger then it 5 times, and won all of em. I dont know what you consider a "real enemy", but to me, a million arabs armed with the latest soviet equippment and ready to face death fit the profile.

Doody wrote:

Israel was able to call up 90% of their reserves in 3 days and throw them in the fight after a surprise attack. There is no way that the US can ever match that. I am in the US Army Reserves and I have heard some horror stories on units taking months to become deployable.

Acctually, its closer to 48 houres....but yes, that is a major roll in the IDFs sucsess.

hatchman wrote:

thats an impressive military for its size

I do believe it's impressive by any meassure, and I think its among the top 15 largest armies the world(probably somewhere between 9 and 15....)

Sherman









[/quote]

See, there you go. If you want a good perspective of Israeli armed forces, ask someone who's from Israel. I was wondering when Sherman would finally respsond to all that.

LOL, well, maybe Im not completely objective, but I do critisize the IDF when it is right to do so....I was away cause schoo l started.

When I say a real enemy i mean someone who is well trained and battlehardened and sorry i just dont see those arab countries as that. It dosent matter how many they throw at you if they have no idea how to fight.
Thats like putting someone from the 82nd airborne against a bunch of preschool kids.

That's a rather extreme way of putting it....

Obviously a bit of sarcasm, but I believe the Israelis were far better then their enemy.

In the Yom Kippor War (73 I believe), the Syrians were pretty much up to date equipement-wise. The Egyptian were fairly up to date as well. So that just leaves the gap in training and readiness between the two sides.

They are just as modern as we and other western nations plus the Iraeli Navy has Nuclear Submarines.

Most of their population is trained to defend the country. They have some of the best equipment. They have tactics and well they have allies.

Without question, their military readiness is unsurpassed, though I believe we've already mentioned that.