IDF soldier appeals for better equipment

A former JFS student who is serving in the Israel Defence Forces is appealing for funds to buy equipment because the kit supplied by the army is not up to the job.

The 22-year-old Londoner, who has fought in Gaza and the West Bank since joining an elite infantry unit this year, wants to raise £10,000 to buy better boots and winter clothing for him and his comrades

The soldier, who did not wish to be named, said: "This is a big problem. We have to do 65km hikes and they give us only one pair of boots, basic ones, that get quite worn.

"We're not walking around barefoot in the desert. We get the basics - basic supplies and equipment - but not any extras. We want to get specially designed boots that give you a lot of support on the knees, and can protect our backs because we carry heavy weights."

He also wants to buy fleeces and torches that will attach to helmets and guns. "The equipment will enhance our ability to complete our missions," he said.

"The stuff we are doing is very sensitive - going to dangerous areas, arresting terrorists. If we're out in the field for two weeks without anything warm in the winter, people aren't able to complete the mission."

He pointed that other, more celebrated IDF units, such as the paratroopers, received extra funds from foreign charities, particularly American ones.

An IDF spokeswoman stressed that the needs of soldiers was a top priority. She said: "The IDF works to ensure that each soldier has all he or she needs in order that their military service be meaningful and productive.

"Soldiers who are entitled to additional support have a wide variety of financial solutions at their disposal."