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The IDF\'s elite units (יְחִידוֹת מֻבְחָרוֹת) are central to its identity and recruitment. Sayeret Matkal, General Staff Reconnaissance, is the most famous, the unit that rescued Entebbe in 1976. Shayetet 13, naval commandos. Unit 669, combat search & rescue. Shaldag, air force commandos. Plus the regular elite infantry brigades: Golani, Nahal, Tzanchanim, Givati. Selection is the most-discussed topic in Israeli high schools.
Cultural note, Selection (גִיוּסׁים, "giyusim", drafts) for elite units happens at gibbushim, multi-day endurance + judgment trials. Tens of thousands try out for hundreds of spots. The phrase "עָשִׂיתִי גִּבּוּשׁ", "I did a gibbush", is a status marker. Prime Minister Netanyahu, his brother Yoni (killed at Entebbe), and Naftali Bennett were all Sayeret Matkal. Ehud Barak commanded it. Many tech founders are alumni.
Special Forces (Sayarot)
Elite Infantry Brigades
Intelligence & Tech Units
Selection (Gibbush) Vocabulary
Famous Operations
Operation Yonatan: Entebbe Rescue, July 4, 1976
The most-celebrated IDF special-forces operation. 100+ hostages rescued from Entebbe airport, Uganda. Only one Israeli commando killed, Yoni Netanyahu. Renamed "Operation Yonatan" in his memory.
"I Did the Gibbush": High School Story
A typical Israeli high-school senior recounting their selection trial experience. The mix of pride and exhaustion is universal.