There is a strange thing you notice when seeing some Israeli soldiers footage in the news, on the IDF youtube channel or online (something like this). In most photos you see Israeli soldiers wearing big, floppy hats that look like shower caps. So why are idf helmets so big, and why do they look so strange?
The quick answer -They’re for camouflage. The hat, called a Mitznefet in Hebrew (the translation is somewhere between a nightcap and a garment) attaches to a regular combat helmet and obscures its rigid, round shape. As all the military helmets have the same round shape, so giving it an asymmetric shape makes it harder to spot, as perfect circles and shapes are not natural things.
As the mitznefet flops about, it takes on an irregular form that’s harder to recognize in a shadow or out of the corner of your eye. It also prevents light from reflecting off of the wearer’s helmet, providing a tactical advantage and making it easier to camouflage when necessary.
The hat also protects against the sun and the moon, which might reflect off the surface of the helmet. The bulk of the covering can be pulled down to shade and protect any side of the wearer’s head from direct sunlight exposure.
History
The Mitznefet has been used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on combat helmets for infantry soldiers since 1994. It is considerably larger than the helmet, with a similar appearance to a chef’s hat.
It was originally adopted by the IDF in the 1990s to provide tactical advantages to Israeli troops due to the prevalence of guerrilla warfare in the bush and woodlands of southern Lebanon during the Israeli occupation of that country. The Mitznefet was later configured to have a two-sided camouflage material, with one side adopted for desert environments and the other for woodland terrain. The covering is easily removable, and can be attached to the helmet while folded.
The name for the covering – “Mitznefet ” – has a common translation to a “clown hat,” but the term has some more dignified connotations. The biblical Book of Exodus uses “mitznefet“ to describe the ancient headgear of the Jewish high priests. As such, the word has been translated as “mitre” or “headdress.” But some biblical scholars think “mitznefet” comes from the root “to wrap,” and say that a better translation would be “turban.”
Helmet covers are not a new idea. A U.S. Army field manual produced during World War II instructed a soldier to watch out for his helmet: “Its curved, familiar shape can be identified by the enemy. One of your first steps in preparing for the job of staying alive to fight is to disrupt both the form of your helmet and the strong, straight-lined shadow it casts.” The manual goes on to suggest slipping a net or a rubber band over the headgear and then stuffing branches and leaves around the edges.
Does it work?
See for yourself.
As we said, one of the most easily detectable elements in the field is clear structure – if something is “too” straight, or “too” round, you will notice it. Therefore the IDF helmets create a good camouflage.
See below, can you spot the soldiers?
You will probably see it eventually. But in a combat situation where you have several seconds to identify the enemy soldiers, you can see what difference those “crazy chef hats” are actually making.