The Night of the Ducks () was the civilian fiasco by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that occurred on April 1, 1959.

Traditionally, Israel conducted regular call-up exercises for its reserve troops by public radio. Units were given code words, which, if broadcast over the radio, meant that the troops were to assemble at predetermined meeting points. Though intended for emergency use, exercises were conducted to ensure that the troops arrived at their appointed places within a reasonable amount of time. Because of the tense situation along the country's borders, drills were announced publicly well in advance, and people expecting to be called up waited at home for the announcements to be made.

By the late 1950s, however, tensions had been increasing along Israel's frontiers, not least because of the perceived threat posed by the political unification of the country's two major adversaries, Egypt and Syria, as the United Arab Republic on January 31, 1958. As a result, it was decided by the IDF's General Staff to test the readiness of its reserve troops under actual emergency conditions. A call-up exercise would be conducted, but unlike previous exercises, there would be no prior announcement and no warning given.

On April 1, a popular radio program on Kol Israel was interrupted by a message requesting listeners to stay close to their radios and wait for an important announcement. At 9:00 PM, Kol Israel's main radio program opened with an announcement of a general call-up of the reserves, and all reservists whose units were announced were requested to report to their bases the following day. The message was concluded with three military code words, which signaled units to report at their predetermined meeting points. The message was delivered in nine languages.

Intended to simulate genuine emergency conditions, the call-up announcement threw the country into a panic. People believed that the call-up was in response to a genuine emergency, and that the country was under attack. In the following hours, Israelis spread rumors and guesses, and checked their personal ammunition supply. In the Knesset, members received the news during a vote on the state budget, and quickly abandoned the proceedings and ran to their cars to listen to the radio.

According to Israeli military historian Yoav Gelber, Laskov told him years later that the call-ups were in fact intended as a trap. Egyptian reconnaissance planes flew night missions over Israel at the time, photographing the target areas and withdrawing before the Israeli Air Force had mobilized to intercept them. As a result, the Israeli Air Force's commander, Ezer Weizman, decided to set up an ambush. A reserve call-up would be announced to draw in Egyptian aircraft that would be shot down by waiting Israeli fighters. However, the Egyptian aircraft never came.

References

  • The "Night of the Ducks"' Exhibition in the IDF&Defense establishment archives