IDF soldiers singing ‘Sultane Qalbam’ at graduation ceremony
English translation of lyrics to ‘Sultane Qalbam’
Ruler of my Heart
One heart says go goOne heart says stay stayMy heart is resless without youwhat would I do without youBefore my beautiful lovethe world is too smallyour memories are with me everywhereI will never leave youThe sad state of my heartyou do not knowwithout you no love or moon shineson my black nightYou are the ruler of my heartthe doors to my heart you have brokenyou promised to be my loveI am still waitingOf a petal I shall make paperand write on it a letteryou are leaving my confidant before loverO my new loveAfter hello my lovefirst I love you sosecond I am awaiting signs of youin every desert and fieldYou are the ruler of my heartthe doors to my heart you have brokenyou promised to be my loveI am still waiting
Ahmad Zahir - Sultan e Qalbam (English translation), Lyrics Translate, (5 February 2011).
Who rules their heart?
You can bet, that it isn’t Iran.
Iranian-born immigrants to Israel are drafted to its military intelligence units in disproportionately large numbers, an official report said on Thursday. This fact reflects the military's high demand for Farsi speakers to monitor the Jewish state's arch-enemy.
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A story in the official Israeli military journal Bamahane included rare personnel data showing that one in five Jewish immigrants from Iran serve in intelligence units due to their native Farsi.
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"Bringing Iranian natives with a command of Farsi into the intelligence corps is a priority," the organizer, Adi Bublil, said. "They have an advantage, as Farsi is not a common language among young men and women in Israel."
Israel's military intelligence corps is well-funded and staffed. Its Unit 8200 specializes in electronic eavesdropping and is often likened to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) or Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
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Last September, Israel's top-rated Channel Two TV aired footage of military intelligence soldiers in a Farsi class.
According to that report, Iranian-born troops were included in the language program, which lasts seven months and twins comprehension of technical terms with Farsi songs and Persian folklore designed to improve eavesdroppers' colloquial skills.
"We need to know everything (about Iran), from combat doctrines to weaponry to operational routines to slangs and codes," said the training academy's commander, a lieutenant-colonel whose name was withheld under secrecy regulations.
Israeli Military Fills Up Intel Units With Iranian Immigrants, Report Reveals, Haaretz, (9 January 2014).
Graduates of Unit 8200, the IDF's technological spearhead.
Thanks to bridget for providing us with the information leading to the identity of the IDF soldiers.
For more information on Unit 8200 see:
