A joint combat demonstration took place today (Tuesday) at an IDF base in Shizafon. The event was in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, and the Chief of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman. Senior ground  forces officers also participated in the joint combat demonstration.

The joint combat demonstration is a display of the ground forces abilities, in which Officers' School cadets from the  infantry, engineering, armored and artillery corps perform exercises that combine various and diverse combat techniques. These include urban warfare, advancing through complex obstacles, artillery support and invasion techniques, along with aerial support of the Israel Air Force, including medical evacuations and aerial re-supplies.

As part of the implementing of lessons learnt from operations in recent years, the ground forces are leading a process of assimilating interoperability cooperation. This process is evident  throughout IDF training and in the development of combat doctrine and was demonstrated through out the joint combat demonstration.

The IDF Chief of the General Staff said during the event: "Currently there is quiet along our borders as a result of the necessary and effective activity in all of our regions. The goal of all of our activity is to allow the citizens of Israel to live in security."

"This blessed quiet is solid and lies on effective deterrence, but it is also fragile. It could be that we will be dragged into an escalation even during your time in the military. My expectation from you is that you will be able to implement what you have seen here. We as well are not resting on our laurels, the IDF is strengthening itself and has some of the world's best fighting capabilities. However, this will be nothing more than a pile of iron if we won't use it the right way. In today's reality, the people of Israel expect us to remove any threat that is shadowing above them, just as we did in Operation Cast Lead, and they trust that we are capable of doing so - just as I trust you and have confidence in you. We must grasp the amount of responsibility we have on our shoulders now to exhume our abilities and be prepared to lead the way when necessary."