May 5th, 2008

IDF SPOKESPERSON'S ANNOUNCEMENT

150 Foreign Paratroopers Arrive in Israel for its 60th Celebrations

On Friday and Saturday 150 foreign paratroopers, representing various armies
around the world, arrived in Israel. Amongst them, are paratroopers from the
US, England, France, Spain, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Singapore,
South Africa, Canada, Greece, Italy and Switzerland. The paratroopers
arrived in Israel in order to take part in Israel's 60th celebrations and to
salute the IDF.

The paratroopers will jump together at the IDF event on Israel Independence
Day, May 8th, in which 120 paratroopers will parachute along the beaches of
Ashkelon. A rehearsal for this jump will take place on May 5th, at Palmahim
beach at 10:00-13:00.

On May 4th, the paratroopers will stay at the IDF Parachuting School. They
will formally enter Tel-Nof base at 8:00, where, the senior foreign officers
will meet the commander of the parachuting school, Colonel Dror Paltin, and
IDF senior officers. Together, the paratroopers will train for the
Independence Day event including practices jumps at sea. At 14:30 the Oketz
unit will explain their capabilities to the foreign paratroopers. Later on,
a ceremony will be held at the IDF Paratroopers Memorial. The ceremony will
be military in nature, and the paratroopers will wear their uniforms. The
Greek paratroopers will lay a laurels at the memorial. A Dutch paratrooper,
Jesper Nels, the grandchild of Righteous Gentiles, will plant an olive tree
next to the memorial. Nels will also meet the family of the man that was
saved by his grandfather.

On Memorial Day for the fallen, the foreign paratroopers will participate in
memorial ceremonies throughout the country including ceremonies in Ashkelon,
Yad-Mordechay, Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem and the Latrun site.

In addition they will visit technological farms and will experience the
latest technological advances in development of the Negev in Revivim and
Sede-Boqer. They will also take part in a jeep tour in the desert. The
paratroopers will visit Jerusalem and will follow in the footsteps of the
Jerusalem brigade which fought in the Six Day War.

One of the participants, a paratrooper named Yoni, serving in the French
foreign legion is named after Yoni Netanyahu, the renowned commander who was
killed in the famous Entebbe operation. He will fulfill his dream and get
the chance to wear the IDF's Paratrooper wings.