Why Shimshon? The Shimshon unit, so named after the biblical warrior Samson, was established in 1997 as a Gaza Strip based battalion. The battalion was formed following the violent riots that erupted due to the Western Wall digs. The Shimshon battalion is assigned to the Etzion brigade and is responsible for operations in the city of Bethlehem. In 1989 a smaller Shimshon unit was formed following the eruption of the first Intifada in the Judea Samaria and Gaza regions.

Why ‘9′? Nine in hebrew is ‘Teisha’. Teisha \te(i)-sha\ in Arabic is a variant of Aisha, and the meaning of Teisha is “alive and well”.

Shimshon alive and well!