[Israel]: Exercise Cherev HaOr

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EXERCISE CHEREV HAOR​

Objective:	Exercise Cherev HaOr is a military training exercise designed to enhance the readiness of Israel's elite Maglan and Sayeret Matkal units for operations in hostile territory. The exercise will focus on mission planning, long-range infiltration, reconnaissance, precision targeting, communications, casualty evacuation, and coordination with supporting air and intelligence assets. The training scenarios will be conducted in terrain intended to simulate a range of operational environments and emphasize decision-making under pressure, interoperability between specialized units, and the execution of complex missions while minimizing risk to personnel and civilians. The exercise is intended to strengthen operational proficiency and preparedness for potential future contingencies.
Date:	April 2 2009 - Current
Location:	State of Israel
Status:	Preparing

BELLIGERENTS​

Israel

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LEADERS AND COMMANDERS​

Naftali Bennett (Prime Minister) Benny Gantz (Minister of Defence) Lieutenant-General Orli Markman (Chief of the Gerneral Staff)

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STRENGTH​

Ministry of Defence: 89th "Strength" Brigade Sayeret Matkal (300x Special Forces Personnel) Sayeret Maglan (300x Special Forces Personnel)

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CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

None

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CLASSIFIED
The activation order came without explanation: soldiers from Sayeret Matkal and Sayeret Maglan were ordered to report to the Matkal Tower at 0600 with full kit for an extended training program. When they arrived, both units formed up beneath the command of senior instructors. Their elite reputations meant nothing here; the instructors made it clear that discipline, adaptability and the ability to learn under pressure were the standards that mattered. From the first morning, every soldier was expected to arrive early, maintain perfect equipment and follow instructions without hesitation.

The first several weeks were dedicated almost entirely to intensive language training. Each soldier was assigned three languages from a pool of ten considered valuable for the program: Arabic, English, Russian, Amharic, French, Spanish, Persian, Turkish, German and Ukrainian. Hebrew remained the common working language and was not counted. Assignments varied according to aptitude, background and organizational needs, with soldiers potentially studying combinations such as Arabic-Russian-English, Arabic-French-Amharic or Persian-Turkish-English. Training focused not only on vocabulary and grammar but also pronunciation, listening comprehension, accents, cultural awareness and communicating with people who were tired, nervous or difficult to understand.

The language course was deliberately demanding. Soldiers could be stopped without warning in the corridors and ordered to respond in one of their assigned languages, while evening study sessions continued after an already exhausting day. Mistakes were expected, but failing to learn from them was not tolerated. The instructors emphasized that language was more than translating words; soldiers needed to understand tone, context and cultural meaning. Over time, the initial rivalry between Matkal and Maglan began to fade as soldiers from both units helped one another with difficult languages and studied together late into the evening.

After the first month, the soldiers assembled beneath the tower again. The commanding officer reminded them that being elite did not mean knowing everything, it meant being capable of learning, adapting and maintaining discipline when exhausted. Their three-language cards remained with them as a reminder of the new standard. The next morning, training continued before sunrise, with the soldiers returning to their classrooms and instructors already waiting. The first phase had taught them the words; the rest of the program would teach them how to understand the people behind those words.