Location

Holot Nitzanim Nature Reserve, near the settlement Nitzan between Ashkelon and Ashdod.

Directions

A bus on behalf of the base leaves from the Ashkelon train station 3 times a day (morning, noon and afternoon). In addition, you can arrive independently to Nitzanim Junction with line 150 from Ashdod/Ashkelon or line 300 from Tel Aviv central station.

Origin of the Name 'Batar Nitzanim (Camp Yehoshua)'

The base is located in the Holot Nitzanim Nature Reserve, next to Kibutz Nitzanim, the settlement Nitzan, and Nitzanim beach - which is why the base is called Nitzanim. It’s official name is Camp Yehoshua, named after General Yehoshua Globerman, who was part of the Hagana organization and was killed before the country was established.

A Little Bit of History

In the past the camp belonged to the armored corps (Shirion) and their recruits were trained there. In 1995 the base became a base for recruits in basic training and belongs to Magal (combat backup system).

Nature of Service

Batar Nitzanim is a closed base and recruits come to prepare for general IDF roles and go through basic training (02) of 4-7 weeks. In the base there is another platoon which passes basic training (03) of 10 weeks - paramedics, special intelligence roles, security guards and more.

What Does 'Batar Nitzanim' Include?

In the base there is a medical clinic that is active all hours of the day, and a dental clinic. There is also a shooting range near the base, a gym and a synagogue. In the base there are 8 platoons doing basic training (02) - Magen, Barak, Gefen, Aviv, Ilan, Dekel, Harel and Yoav. There is an additional platoon - Golan, which is the basic training (03) platoon.

The Unique Qualities of the Base

It is important to know that the soldiers sleep in big tents. In the base there is a new project in the Golan platoon - dental checks for all soldiers, also those who do not have an appointment.

The Commander’s Message

Although the basic training is a difficult first meeting with the army, it is part of the preparation. It is important to understand that this is a temporary period to give you tools, to help you understand what it means to be soldier and to demand things from you that no one has ever demanded from you before. Prepare yourself for a change, come open minded, and remember that basic training is hard and challenging but important. This will be your new home for the next few weeks. There are people here who wake up every morning for you and do everything to make your experience meaningful. Our goal is that you leave the base feeling different and better.

- Lieutenant colonel Tal Binodiz, Commander of 'Batar Nitzanim'