There is a lot of reasons travelers choose Israel as their next destination. It may be to strengthen their religion, learn the culture, visit the Dead Sea, enjoy the nightlife in Tel Aviv, or witness beautiful landscapes. Whatever your reason for checking the next Tel Aviv flights, you probably don’t want to miss the next big tourist attractions of the city and the country.

So you’ve planned to visit Nazareth or the sandy beaches in Tel Aviv. But how about getting the chance to train and fire high-powered weapons?

The Start of Caliber 3
Caliber 3 is considered to be the leading security training and counter terror academy in the country. It allows anyone to take part in a staged terrorist attack and practice combat with veterans. Strangely, this academy has taken the interest of many tourists.

The academy started back in 2003 when an Israeli Defence Forces or IDF ex-member, Colonel Sharon Gat, decided to provide a security solution specially designed for tourists. This solution includes threat protection, tactical military training, intelligence operations, and law enforcement. Colonel Gat believes that security is a top priority wherever you go.

What Awaits You in the Academy
Those who are interested can sign up for different courses and packages. For one, there’s the “Shooting Adventure” which is a two-hour course that teaches you how to use sniper rifles and assault rifles. There’s also “Survival and Navigation” which is a program that allows you to sharpen your skills by training under harsh conditions. Then, there’s “Krav Marga” where experts combine karate, judo, and boxing as a form of self-defense.

The training is rigorous, so it caters to tourists who are up for some extreme training. If you enroll, you can also join terror scenarios where you learn how to spot attackers and disarm them.

The Controversy Behind the Academy
Without a doubt, Caliber 3 is an unusual tourist destination. However, it clicks. Why? It’s because people understand that there’s no place that’s perfectly safe. This is not to say that Caliber 3 has been fully accepted by the locals.

The academy is found in Efrat, 15 miles from Jerusalem. Efrat is an Israeli settlement located in the disputed West Bank. The settlements found in the area are currently considered illegal, as opposed to the opinion of the government. Aside from this, the Palestinian community is afraid of the academy. They believe that Caliber 3 is using the conflict between Palestine and Israel for profit. The academy has also been accused of damaging the image of Palestinians.

In response, the academy says that their aim is to help people fight terrorism and not shoot random people. Despite all the controversies, Caliber 3 has attracted about 25,000 tourists every year.