SHOCKING! Israel makes Quran and Arabic mandatory for IDF soldiers due to...

India.com

6 days ago

(File)
In a strategic move, Israel has made it mandatory for all soldiers and officers of the intelligence arm of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to learn and study Islam, the Quran, and the Arabic language to bolster future intelligence efforts and prevent failures. According to a report by the Jerusalem Post, the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, called AMAN in Hebrew, has introduced extensive reforms Arabic language and Islamic cultural studies programs following intelligence failures around October 7, 2023 incident. Why IDF is being told to learn Quran and Arabic?
As per the report, all intelligence soldiers and officers of the IDF have been asked to learn the Arabic language, and to study Islam and the Quran to prevent intelligence failures such as the ones that resulted in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The initiative is among the several taken by AMAN chief Major General Shlomi Binder, and requires all intelligence personnel, including those engaged in non-combat roles, to undergo training in either Arabic or Islamic studies. How the new directive will be implemented?
Quoting officials, the report said that under the new directive, all intelligence personnel are now expected gain proficiency in Arabic as part of their basic training, while the long-term goal is for future commanders to be fluent in Arabic and well versed in Islamic culture and the Quran, to boost their analytical abilities.
AMAN plans to impart Islamic studies training to all its personnel, while at least half of them are expected to receive training in Arabic, by the end of 2026, it said, adding the training will also include special training in Houthi and Iraqi dialects.
The intelligence directorate also plans to establish a new department dedicated to the education of Arabic and Islam, while IDF will also reopen TELEM, which previously promoted Arabic and Middle Eastern studies in Israeli middle and high schools, but was shut around six years ago due to budget constraints. Who will impart the training?
According to the report, Israeli intelligence personnel face difficulty in understanding Houthi communications because some Houthis are addicted to Qat– a mildly narcotic plant chewed in Yemen and other parts of the Arab world which results in slurred speech. Notably, in June, Israel's bid to assassinate a Houthi military chief reportedly failed due to this reason.
To counter the issue, AMAN will begin special courses focused on Houthi and Iraqi Arabic dialects to familiarize language analysts with region-specific nuances. Instructors have been recruited from the respective communities to provide authentic training.
'So far we have not been that good in the areas of culture, language and Islam. We need to improve these areas. We will not turn our intelligence officers and soldiers into Arab children raised in villages. But through language and cultural studies, we can create an understanding of deep observation in them,' the report quoted a senior official as saying.