Dogs: Man's best friend, a terrorist's worst enemy
Dogs: Not only are they man’s best friend, but their service and devotion to humans are, arguably, unrivaled. Among other things, they make fabulous companions, help in the detection of various diseases, provide assistance and comfort to those who need and lead search and rescue teams to lost souls who otherwise would never be found.
Our furry friends can also make excellent four-legged soldiers who serve alongside regular soldiers in combat forces across the world. To this end, dogs play an integral part in the IDF and, like all army personnel, often put themselves in harm’s way in order to serve and protect. Some even lose their lives.
In 1939, the Hagana began to use dogs to protect their villages, which often came under threat by their Arab neighbors. Their so-called “canine unit” joined the IDF following the establishment of the state in 1948.
A wave of terrorist attacks in the early ’70s led to the re-establishment of the canine unit in 1974. This unit, known as
Oketz (sting in Hebrew), still exists today. It started with just 11 soldiers and operated for the first 14 years in complete secrecy, during which time it participated in dozens of covert missions.
Oketz operates with specially trained dogs, who play a significant role in complex and serious missions, including counterterrorism and search and rescue. Each is trained in a particular specialty, such as attack, locating weapons, detecting explosives, etc.
The dogs, some of whom are native Israelis and others who make aliyah in order to serve their country, comprise mainly German, Belgian and Dutch Shepherds.
7-year-old Django fell in action in Nablus during an operation with the Yamam counterterrorism unit, May 4, 2023. (photo credit: ISRAEL BORDER POLICE SPOKESMAN)
Seven-year-old Django, for example, a Border Police dog was killed in action earlier this month, when he took part in a special operation in Nablus. He was caught in an exchange of heavy crossfire during a raid by the IDF against the terrorists who murdered Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee in the Jordan Valley in early April.
Django, a courageous, four-legged soldier used himself as a shield to protect his officers from terrorist fire: “Django prevented the lives of the fighters involved from being harmed by throwing himself ‘into the line of fire as a shield to selflessly save his partners,’ a Border Police statement said.
When one of these brave doggy soldiers is killed in action, he or she is laid to rest in the canine cemetery on the Oketz base, which has a monument in the center bearing testament to the relationship between the soldiers and their canine partners.
https://m.jpost.com/opinion/article-743540
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