Reply #5: Buses used to transport IDF soldiers in Israel

[eablair3]

I never realized that the buses in Israel are used to transport IDF troops. I watched a PBS show called Globe Trekker recently. It's a travel show, and they did a show on Israel. The host went to the main bus terminal in Tel Aviv and rode the bus around to certain places in Israel. Apparently, there is an arrangement with the IDF for the buses to transport IDF troops, and they are one of the main ways of transporting troops. They said the buses are normally well populated with IDF troops, and the show included video of many of the IDF troops on the buses that Globe Trekker and its host, Justine Shapiro, took around the country.

I was kind of surprised to learn this. I have never seen this fact referred to in the mass media reports. The U.S. mass media makes it sound like the buses are used solely by innocent civilians, including the elderly, women and small children. Buses in the U.S. are not used for transporting troops. I didn't know that the Israeli bus system is the main transport system for IDF troops that serve in the Occupied Territories and the Gaza Strip.

Here's a quote and a link to the site for the Globe Trekker show where this was shown and is talked about when telling how they travelled in Israel:

By Bus
The Egged bus company is one of the largest in the world and it's the easiest way to travel round the country. A month's Israbus pass costs about 140 US dollars.

The company has an arrangement with the Israeli Defence Force to transport soldiers to and from their bases, so the stations and buses are always packed with troops. In fact, in time of war, Egged acts as a back-up fleet transporting personnel and equipment.

http://www.globetrekkertv.co.uk/destination_guide/middle_east_and_nort...

http://www.globetrekkertv.co.uk/destination_guide/middle_east_and_nort... /

I was just a little surprised about this and about seeing all the IDF troops on these buses in Israel.

After learning this and seeing it, I find it hard to believe that not even one of these "innocent bystanders" or "innocent civilians" were IDF troops. But, you never see such reports of IDF troops using these buses for transportation and that any killed were IDF troops.