Israeli "Battle Rations" update

[rationtin440]

Thanks biscuits, that is the one I meant; I recall seeing it in soft magazine form and in hardcover form, awesome series.

[Treesuit]

DJC,

Your average tzahalnik is use to carrying pakalim out in the shetach as it is

Okay, how about a translation?

Also I don't doubt your fact at all that the IDF has amore "communal spirit" amongst it's units and squads. They've been fighting for as long as anybody can remember, so everybody has to rely on everybody else in the fight to ultimately win and fight another day.

All I'm talking about is the viewpoint of simplicity of the food they take on extended missions. MRE's would be a better choice but as Brown Biscuts pointed out the IDF already has a Special Operations Ration in stock. Had I known that I wouldn't have made my post.

[biscuits brown]

Dawn. Mitla pass oct 1956

IDF 1st bat 890th paratroop brigade position at the Mitla pass. Guy praying just outside what seems a cook tent. Note 4 man ration boxes stacked on top of several crates of probably commercial canned items. Also there appears to be sacks of vegetables stacked on the side.
Jeeps and engineering vehicles in background. Notice the ration boxes are identical to the "modern" 4 man Manot Krav

Celebration. Oct 1956

Great shot of 1950s IDF reservists. Note wide variety of ages and simple uniforms.
They are drinking nesher (eagle) lager beer and what appear to be small fruits. Most jeeps and trucks carried crates of old school bottled coke/locally produced orangeade and beer. Typical citizen soldier behaviour
Bayonets look like Czech K98s

Thanks for starting this interesting thread btw djc!

(Pictures courtesy of the Jewish internet resource site)

[Treesuit]

BB,

I have to comment on the first photo of the guy praying outside the cooking tent. You mention that those cartons on top. To me they look pretty big almost like early MRE cases but not as wide. Are you quite postive those could be a early 4 man Manot Krav? I did see one photo of a 4 man ration here on the forum now that looked much smaller by comparison and that was a Manot Krav.

I'm not being judgemental, it's just the size appears different that's all, do you have in your notes somewhere of when the IDF first procured and distributed the Manot Krav?

[biscuits brown]

Ts you are completely right.

I found this pic by asking for Israeli rations. The site has it marked as "Israeli rations"

Now these pics are really good and detailed, bit like "Life" pictures of the period. I think you are right about the boxes. Ive looked at them and I think I made 2 mistakes;

[*] Screwed up the perspective. They are further away from the guy than I thought. You are right they are much bigger, like 10 in 1 cases, or as you say modern MRE cartons. (I just checked my 92 case they look about similar size)

[*] made the mistake of thinking they were MKs. bad move for a researcher
They are on civilian looking crates, so they could be just more civilian stuff bought from a civilian source by the military, or even just improvised by the unit. Remember this is 56, and the IDF of the time seem to be more like your minutemen or revolutionary war militia, very civilian, very informal, though they were highly professional. Just their methods were casual at the time.
it could even be an unknown IDF 50s ration like a 10 in 1. Who knows? Maybe we have found something new

I love this stuff.

[Treesuit]

BB,

After reading your post I went on Google and did some searching for Israeli battle rations. First thing that came up was the MREInfo forum and this thread.. And then Wikipedia which told me a lot of what all of us here on this forum probably already knew. I then ran across this web link: http://www.allbusiness.com/middle-east/ ... 726-1.html. While it's not directly related to the photos it's dated May of 2000 and lends some creditability to the rumour that I talked about a couple of posts back about the US exporting some MRE's to Israel.

Now a bit of what you said, could it have been possible that the US shipped some 5 in 1, or 10 in 1 surplused rations to the country many years prior? It could be that your on to something with the discovery of that picture. Unfortunately there's no writing on the side or front that could give us an indication but the idea of the IDF being fairly new and not having a more, on call ,minuteman, Reserve army at the time. It would lead me to believe that civilian food stocks might have been used. Especially on short notice. I'm really not that familar with the 1956 Suez crisis so you'll have help me a little. I'm more aware with the incursions from 1982 to present.

Also I'll restate what I put in my last post of when do you think the IDF first procured and distributed the Manot Krav?

[donaldjcheek]

I think the early IDF, circa 1948 - early '60's, used mostly surplus imported equipment. Regarding the Czech Mausers, photos of reservist troops battling in Jerusalem in 1967 show them carrying bolt-action rifles.

Tzahalnik = IDF soldier, somewhat analagous to "troopie" or "squaddie" in English

pakalim = gear, in the sense of excess stuff. IDF soldiers carry things like folding stretchers, extra rocket rounds, etc on their backs.

shetach = active operations area, sort of like "bush" or "scrub" in English

Chaver = lit. "comrade," but more like "buddy" or "pal" in English

ben-Adam = lit "son of Adam," used almost like "Man" in English, eg "Ben-Adam, don't ever pull a goy stunt like that again!"

okel = literally food, has come to mean "chow time;" also slang for "mess hall."

[donaldjcheek]

Treesuit

You are correct. In 2000-2001, Israel did import some MRE components from the US (not entire MREs, it doesn't look like). Several things happened since then.

The Iraq & Afghan wars took a lot of MREs off the market, but I'm not certain this was a factor. Remember, a lot of Israeli equipment is bought in the US and paid for by the US taxpayer, and I think Kosher MREs would fit in this category.

The big thing was the Israeli budget crisis of 2002-2003. A lot of pet projects were shelved for lack of funds, and this may have been one of them. I don't have the links any more, but I'll see if I can recreate them - but nationalism also came into play here. IIRC, there were a lot of arguments against buying an expensive, heavy American ration. Fact, one 4-man MK weighs less and takes up less space than 12 MREs. It also cost less.

That being said, A LOT of MK components come from the good ol' US of A. Corn, for instance. Hardly traditional MidEast - or Jewish - cuisine, yet it figures prominently in the current version of the MK. I've even seen pictures of canned corn from the MK with Hebrew labels pasted over the original English labels.

So, who can say? The Israeli combat boot is made in New Jersey, the main Israeli combat rifle is manufactured in New York, why not have parts of the MK come from Kansas?

[biscuits brown]

So, who can say? The Israeli combat boot is made in New Jersey, the main Israeli combat rifle is manufactured in New York, why not have parts of the MK come from Kansas?

Great gruntspeak translation and I mostly agree with your points..but the good old M4 is being rapidly phased out by the first line combat brigades (Golani, Gvati marine brigade and the paras) and being replaced by the Tavor family. Home grown and home made, its probably the best of the current bullpups, and has a great evolutionary upgrade potential.
Its starting to move well in the export market too. India, Ukraine, Thailand and Georgia have chosen it so far, and several other "undisclosed" armies are evaluating it.
And it just looks great

Indian special forces soldier toting Tavor in Kashmir, 2008

Im surprised the US are not testing it out so far, to my knowledge

[biscuits brown]

ts they are not 5 or 10 in 1s. Not kosher, way too much pork. No way they would have been used in the 50s (or now)

It may be a locally produced squad sized ration, similar in concept to 10 in 1. They look the same size if thats what they were. may have found a new IDF 50s ration here. They may however just be boxes of commercial cans.

No idea about the history of MK. They are a 4 man ration so they may have originated for AFV crews. ive just got a hunch they originated in the 60s.