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Havatzalot Program

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Havatzalot Program Official Logo

The Havatzalot Program (Template:Lang-he) is an elite program in the Israel Defense Forces, based upon the concept of Talpiot program, aimed to train highly skilled intelligence officers. Havatzalot's cadets complete a full 3-year bachelor's double major degree. The first major is a unique compilation of different courses in Middle Eastern Studies, Political Science and Sociology. The cadets are free to choose their second major in Haifa University in addition to rigorous military and intelligence training. The training is followed by 6 years in key positions in Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate.[1]

Selection

Thousands of candidates take part in the selection process, however only 30-40 cadets are accepted into the program annually. The selection program is one of the longest and most rigorous in the IDF, and includes group dynamic tests in addition to cognitive exams. To get accepted, a candidate must exhibit high motivation, strong cognitive skills and high inter-personal and leadership abilities. The program is open to male and female cadets alike.[1]

Training

Havazalot training is 3 years long, and serves as the cadet's obligatory military service, followed by 6 years of standing army service. The cadets of the program start their army service in intensive combat basic training, after which they join Haifa University.[2]In the past, participants went through a 3 year bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern Studies and another major of their choice of the following 4 majors: economics, mathematics, computer science or philosophy. However, the program has since been updated and participants now take Middle Eastern Studies combined with International Relations and Sociology.[3]

Simultaneously, the training includes many military and intelligence courses, in addition to visits to various units. Between the first and second year, the cadets go through Israel's Officers Course in the Bahad 1 base. The training used to include the IDF parachuting course.[4]

Training in Havatzalot comprises three central elements:

  1. The Professional element, which includes academic studies and military/intelligence training.
  2. The Values element, which includes many sessions about the values of the IDF (see Ruach Tzahal). In addition, twice a year, the cadets participate in a seminar in various locations around Israel.
  3. The Leadership element, which includes training and gaining experience in different command scenarios.

Service

During the third year of training, the placement of the trainee is chosen in an orderly process, in which the student's preferences (research, research, and intelligence) are examined, along with his abilities and his suitability for the position (according to the assessment of the commanders and the head of the program). At the end of the placement process, the position for the first two years of permanent service is chosen, out of the six years of graduates’ careers that they signed upon at the beginning of the training.

The graduates are assigned to core and value-added officer positions only in the entire intelligence community and its various bodies, including the Military Intelligence Research Division, the Special Operations Division, the various intelligence units in the IDF (504, 8200, 9900 and more), the intelligence units in the regional commands and divisions, in the Israel Air Force intelligence and in the navy intelligence.

At the end of the training the graduates are granted the rank of Segen (lieutenant), and after two years they receive the rank of Seren (captain). For graduates who wish to continue their service in the corps beyond the initial commitment (6 years) and who prove themselves capable are granted the rank of Rav-Seren (Major) even during the initial permanent service.

The graduates’ service in the corps includes a major emphasis on transition - experience in a variety of research disciplines, an in-depth and interdisciplinary knowledge of intelligence work, and a broad understanding. As a result, most of the graduates pass every two years between different units within the Israeli intelligence community and gain extensive experience in a variety of intelligence activities (a feature that is considered unusual in the intelligence corps).

Another major component of the graduates' service is the connectivity that exists between the graduates - an unmediated connection between graduates of the same year, or from different years, which are spread throughout the corps, enabling creative moves, and breaking bureaucratic walls and promoting innovative collaborations.


References

Elite Military Intelligence cadets complete training- The Jerusalem Post, 11/11/2013

  1. ^ a b https://www.aman.idf.il/Modiin/Maslul.aspx?catId=62702&docId=78062
  2. ^ http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2981343,00.html
  3. ^ http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Elite-Military-Intelligence-cadets-complete-training-331197
  4. ^ http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/today/10/11/2302.htm
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