The strength of the Israeli navy according to the Dutch newspaper Amigoe di Curacao dated 8 October 1973

An item reported that the Israeli navy consisted of three submarines in service with two in reserved and another three were ordered to be built, one submarine chaser, thirteen fast patrol boats, nine motor torpedo boats, 23 small patrol vessels and nine landing craft. The personnel strength consisted of 3.500 men in regular service and 1.000 conscripts while within short time another 5.000 men could be mobilized. The commando unit of the navy numbered 300 men.(1)

Note

1. The newspaper used the annual account of the military balance 1973-1974 recently published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies at London. Two days before this item was published broke a war out between Egypt and Syria supported by other Arabic nations  Iraq attacking Israel and which became known as the Jom Kipoeroorlog also called the October or Ramadan war ending on 25 October. The USA and European nations like the Netherlands became target of the OPEC which used an oil embargo to change their attitude in their foreign policy concerning Israel and the Arabic world.