Caliber 3 - War Tourism in West Bank
West Bank - Israel
West Bank - Israel
The Caliber 3 Academy in the West Bank area of Gush Etzyon has become a renowned training center for both professionals and amateurs alike, where people come from around the world to be trained in counter-terrorism techniques. On any given training day, the trainers at Caliber 3 are instructing Israeli citizens and tourists, adults and children, in emergency response tactics and “Krav Maga,” a self-defense system developed for military in Israel and Hungary that consists of a wide combination of techniques sourced from boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and grappling, along with realistic fight training.
The company was founded by IDF Colonel Sharon Gat in 2002 Caliber 3 was founded by Sharon Gat, who is also the CEO. The academy is certified by Israel’s Ministry of Homeland Security, the Police Force, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and works closely with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) as well. Despite the fact that the shooting ranges are filled with photo targets of Arab men wearing keffiyahs on their heads, Gat stresses that the training is not how to attack or provoke terrorists, but only protection. “Even if the targets are Arabs and they don't like Jews, we don't shoot people that are not intended to make a terrorist act.”
American and Russian tourists are among some of the many tourists who come to the academy looking for a different type of tourism than usual. Caliber 3 advertises this new tourism as “Commando Tourism,” where people can come train alongside seasoned veterans with real-life counterterrorism experience. The bullets are true but the participants seem to be having a lot of fun. One woman, Margo, came from New York with her young son Harry to learn self-defenses, while Mary from Fishers, Indiana, came with her entire family just for a good time during their vacation in Israel.
"They are mostly American and Russian Jews who have relatives or friends in the colonies," says Gat, continuing, “they want to understand what it means to live in a climate of war where you must defend 24/7 from the Palestinians."
The academy includes three shooting ranges, a dining room, a Krav Maga gym and a tactical training center. Caliber 3 is dedicated to Capt. Hagai Hayim Lev, a 24-year-old Israeli soldier killed in 2002 during a military operation in southern Gaza Strip.
A group of Israeli young men doing excercises before starting a training to become security guards on the light train in Jerusalem
Shai Ish Shalom, Senior Combat instructor and former colonen of the Israeli Forces, training a group of Israeli young men to become security guards on the light train in Jerusalem
Eitan Cohen, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, during a basic shooting training session with a group of american and russian tourists
Eitan Cohen, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, during a basic shooting training session with a group of american and russian tourists
A group of Israeli young men during a simulated raid inside the Caliber 3 Tactical Training Center
Eitan Cohen, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, teaching a group of American tourists from New York how to hold a shotgun during a "Commando Tourism" training
Little Harry from New York enjoying shooting with a paintball shotgun
Professional team of Caliber 3 during a demonstration of a V.I.P. protection operation
Sharon Gat - C.E.O and Founder of Caliber 3, explaining to a group of tourists after a demonstration: "even if the targets are arabs and they don't like jews, we don't shoot to people that are not intended to make a terrorist act".
Yonah, from New York during his first shooting session with a hand gun
A group of Israeli trainees praying during a course for becoming security guards on the light train in Jerusalem
One of the three shoting range at Caliber 3 Academy, in the West Bank area of Gush Etzyon, a cluster of Israeli settlements south of Jerusalem
Steve Gar, combat instructor showing to a group of tourist the results of a professional demonstration. All the bullets centered the target perfectly.
Professional team of Caliber 3 during a demonstration of a V.I.P. protection operation
Alex Baramba, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, teaching a group of russian tourist how to shoot with a hand gun
Professional team of Caliber 3 during a demonstration of a V.I.P. protection operation
A group of American tourists from New York learning how to hold a shotgun during a "Commando Tourism" training lesson
One of the several target posters used in the Caliber 3 shooting range depicting an arab man
Professional team of Caliber 3 during a demonstration of a V.I.P. protection operation
Mary from Fishers, Indiana during a shooting session with a hand gun. She came with all her family to make this unique experience in Israel. They came just for fun and they absolutely enjoyed it.
Professional team of Caliber 3 during a demonstration of a V.I.P. protection operation
Eitan Cohen is a Combat and Krav Maga instructor works at Caliber 3 since 2 years. In his past he took part in several special missions in Mexico, Nigeria and India as a contractor. He's also a Muay Thai athlete
A group of Israeli young men during a Krav Maga lesson. Krav Maga is a self-defense system developed for military in Israel and Hungary that consists of a wide combination of techniques sourced from boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and grappling, along with realistic fight training.
Steve Gar, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, teaching a group of American tourists from New York how to hold a shotgun
Sharon Gat the C.E.O and founder of Caliber 3 is a Colonel in the IDF Special Forces, with vast operational experience in guerrilla warfare and counter terrorism in the field. His experience includes commanding units in special operations in Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza strip. During an interview he says :"We have our enemies very motivated to do attacks on us in the cities, in settlements, wherever there are jews. We’re not waiting a suicide bomber to come, we want to be prepared."
Little Harry from New York enjoying shooting with a paintball shotgun
Steve Gar, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, during a basic shooting training session with a group of american tourists from New York
the Caliber 3 Tactical Training Center. This area is used to simulate different situations like attacks on buses or raid into buildings
A group of Israeli security guards working in schools at the Caliber 3 range for an upgrade training
Glen (19) from the U.S. double checking the empty bullets. He works part-time at Caliber 3 to pay his studies in a Yeshiva (religious) School
Sharon Gat - C.E.O and Founder of Caliber 3, explaining to a group of tourists after a demonstration: "even if the targets are arabs and they don't like jews, we don't shoot to people that are not intended to make a terrorist act".
Eitan Cohen, Combat and Krav Maga instructor, teaching a group of American tourists from New York how to hold a shotgun during a "Commando Tourism" training
Samuel from Fishers, Indiana during a shooting session with a hand gun. He came with all his family to make this unique experience in Israel. They came just for fun and they absolutely enjoyed it.
Margo with her little son Harry, from New York checking the results of her first handgun shooting session.
