What is the story of the strange hat of Israeli soldiers? What is the religious symbolism of “Mitzvat”? | Mix

With the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza and the spread of clips of field operations, the hats worn by occupation soldiers over their helmets caught attention with their strange shape, and some even compared them to the “chef” (chef) hat.

The hat used by the Israeli occupation army – especially reconnaissance and sniper units – is known as the “Mitznaft”, and it appeared on the heads of Israeli soldiers for the first time during their war with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon in 1996.

The Hebrew term “mitzvat” can be translated in several ways: The word means “cover”, “hood” or “turban”.

This name has a religious origin, as the Jewish high priest in the Holy Temple wore The turban Known as “Mitzneft” during the Second Temple Period (586 BC to 70 AD), from where the modern meaning of the word is derived.

“Mitznaft” is larger in size than military hats that are primarily used for camouflage, and does not take the usual circular shape of headgear. It also differs in its colors and camouflage patterns, which makes it useful for concealing the wearer from snipers, due to the difficulty of detecting it from a distance.

“Mitzvat” is usually made of a mesh material used to prevent light reflection, which enables it to provide protection for soldiers from the sun, especially in hot climates.

The Israeli military hat also allows air to flow through it and heat out, which is why you often see IDF soldiers wearing it even if they are not wearing a helmet underneath.

In 2013, the “Mitznaft” was manufactured with a camouflage material with two sides that can be reversed: one side is suitable for desert environments and the other for forest environments.

The hat contains plastic devices with military specifications produced by the American company “Etoa Nexus”, as its covers are fully adjustable to fit all sizes of helmets, and also feature ropes to connect them to the helmets securely.

Although Israeli soldiers are the most famous for using mitzvahs, other armies have used them in the past, with Polish forces seen wearing the same headgear, while Israel has allegedly supplied a small number of them to Ukraine in the past, according to Russian media.