NATO forces are scheduled to participate, for the first time, in a home front drill that will be held in Israel next October.
In recent years, the IDF took part in several exercises held by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization abroad, but has never hosted its members in Israel.
The drill, dubbed Turning Point 6, will simulate a massive earthquake leading to wide-scale destruction and large amounts of casualties.
© Roi IdanSearch and rescue units during drill
Two weeks ago, Minister for Home Front Defense Matan Vilnai met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio Bisogniero in Brussels to discuss the details of the joint exercise.
During his visit, Vilnai also met with other senior members of the organization and officials from the European Union in order to discuss future cooperation between Israel and Europe on emergency and crisis management issues.
"We have a big interest in deepening and widening our ties with the Union and with NATO," said Vilnai, adding that "both Europe and Israel can benefit from steady cooperation on preparedness and response to emergencies and crises."
Something that hasn't been mentioned is that just before the phase II of the War of Terror aka Arab Spring, American Troops and military hardware were already positioned in israel, as part of a contingency plan, in case the destabilizations in neighbouring countries turned into real revolutions. Since then they've been slowly trickling in and just before Christmas it was quietly announced "several thousand" more American troops would be going in once again under the guise of this long overdue "drill".
This israeli/nato drill is another cover story to disguise the massive troop build-up inside israel, knowing the sheer bravery of the khazar jews, I believe these US/Nato forces will be proxies/human shields used to fight and defend israel against the incoming missiles from Iran/Syria/Lebanon.
U.S. Deploys Radar, Troops To israel (26 Sep 2008) [Link]
"U.S. European Command (EUCOM) has deployed to israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent U.S. military presence on israeli soil.
More than a dozen aircraft, including C-5s and C-17s, helped with the Sept. 21 delivery of the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components and some 120 EUCOM personnel to israel's Nevatim Air Base southeast of Beersheba, said sources here and in Stuttgart, Germany.
EUCOM has repeatedly deployed troops and Patriot air defense batteries for joint exercises and Iraq-related wartime contingencies, but has never before permanently deployed troops on israeli soil.
A EUCOM spokesman declined to comment. MDA officials referred to the U.S. State Department, which did not provide comment by press time." [...] [Link][Link]
US commander visits israel to finalize missile drill (12/20/2011) [Link]
"Last week, Lt.-Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the US’s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited israel to finalize plans for the upcoming drill, expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers in israel.
The drill, which is unprecedented in its size, will include the establishment of US command posts in israel and IDF command posts at EUCOM headquarters in Germany – with the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Middle East." [...]
'US deploys troops in israel for Iran war' [Link]
US plans buffer zone along Syria border [Link]