The IAF Flight School held a ceremony Thursday for its 160th class of graduates. Defense Minister Ehud Barak was there, as were President Shimon Peres and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.
Barak noted the high number of immigrants in this graduating class. 20% of the new pilots were not born in Israel.
"These immigrants are what make us most proud today,” he said. “You are the true Zionists, and you prove how much the wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union contributed, and continues to contribute, to the country.”
Barak took the opportunity to call for peace talks. “Our hand is extended in peace to our neighbors. We are ready for negotiations with no preconditions,” he said.
Peres spoke of peace as well. “We have not lost in war, and we will not give up on peace,” he said. “Peace is best for us and our neighbors... Peace becomes more urgent with each child who is born.”
Ashkenazi took a more somber and realistic tone in his speech. “Dear soldiers, the skies of the Middle East, which you will soon meet in your aircraft, are covered these days by threatening clouds, near and far... Only a strong army, with a powerful aerial arm on which to rely, can stand up to the complex challenges awaiting us,” he said.
"The times in which we live make the burden of responsibility that rests on your shoulders that much heavier,” he added.
The new pilots received their wings after a three-year course in which they completed not only flight training, but also officers' training and a three-year academic degree. They were given a choice of studying Computer Science, Government and Politics, IT Management, or Economics.
47.5% of the graduates are from the north of the country, and another 47.5 are from the central district. 12.5% of the graduates speak fluent Russian, another 15% speak English.
7.5% of the graduates identify as religious, while another 7.5% do not identify as fully religious but observe many religious customs. 45% were active in youth groups prior to enlistment.