October 13, 2005: Israel is trying to entrap soldiers who accept rides from strangers. Israel has forbidden soldiers from accepting rides from strangers. That's because Palestinian terrorist have openly proclaimed their intention of kidnapping Israeli soldiers and holding them for ransom (usually the release of jailed Palestinian terrorists.) These kidnapping efforts have been going on for several years, and there have been a few attempts. There are plenty of targets, because Israel is a small country, and troops are constantly moving around when off duty. Many of them go home to visit the family, and because they are on short leave, they are in a hurry. Accepting a ride from a stranger is faster than waiting for a damn bus. So to help insure that the troops stop exposing themselves to kidnapping attempts, the police have established a "sting squad," where cops ride around in civvies and unmarked cars, offering rides to soldiers. Any trooper that falls for the pitch, is then approached by two cops in uniform, traveling behind to write up any soldiers who fall for the bait.