Israeli army inaugurates new military unit in charge to record operations with pictures video 070613

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Defence & Security News - Israel

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Friday, June 7, 2013 09:31 AM
 
Israeli army inaugurates new military unit in charge to record operations with pictures and video.
The Israeli military has inaugurated a new unit tasked with spearheading the Jewish state's efforts to record operations, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday, June 6, 2013. Assigned under the IDF Spokesman's Office, the unit, whose soldiers have received extensive training in video and still photography, will accompany combat units on operations to document their work, the report said.
     
The Israeli military has inaugurated a new unit tasked with spearheading the Jewish state's efforts to record operations, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday, June 6, 2013. Assigned under the IDF Spokesman's Office, the unit, whose soldiers have received extensive training in video and still photography, will accompany combat units on operations to document their work, the report said.
IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers on the lookout during Operation Cast Lead. (Archive image)

     

Their footage and images will be made available to both local and international media outlets in real time; sensitive materials will be limited to special users, such as military intelligence and internal probe commissions, according to the report.

"Perception has a critical role... One can win the battle but lose the public perception," Yoav Mordechai, chief spokesman for the Israeli military, told the new unit's soldiers at their graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

The IDF attaches importance to documenting its operations in the West Bank, where violent clashes are common between Israeli security forces and Palestinian militants.

Earlier this year, the IDF Spokesman's Office launched a social media department tasked with posting the military's announcements and video clips on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and the official IDF blog.

A pilot project to train Israeli troops to film units in action was launched in the wake of the Lebanon war in 2006. Soldiers were selected from combat teams for the three-week "Operational Documenters" course, which taught them basic skills in operating a camcorder and a 35mm camera.