NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Israeli military

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva HaHagana LeYisrael (help· info), "[Army] Force for the Defense of Israel"), often abbreviated with the Hebrew acronym צה"ל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israel's defensive forces, comprising the Israeli Army, the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Navy. Hebrew (×¢Ö´×‘Ö°×¨Ö´×™×ª or ×¢×‘×¨×™×ª, â€˜Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Image File history File links He-Israeli_Defense_Forces. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF) (Hebrew: ×–×¨×•×¢ ×”××•×•×™×¨ ×•×”×—×œ×œ Zroa HaAvir VeHaá¸¤alal, literally Air and Space Arm) is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces and currently operates around 900 aircraft. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces...

History

The Israeli Defence Force was founded May 14, 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel "to protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism which threaten the daily life" ^{[citation needed]}. The IDF succeeded the Haganah (in particular, its operational branch, the Palmach) as the permanent military of the Jewish state. It was also joined by former elements of the Jewish Brigade that fought under the British flag during World War II. After the establishment of the IDF the two Jewish underground organizations the Etzel and Lehi joined with the IDF in a loose confederation but were allowed to operate independently in some sectors until the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, after which these two organizations were disbanded, and their members integrated into the IDF. The modern IDF came into existing during the period from 1949 to 1956 by experience gained through regional conflicts with their Arab neighbours. The history of the Israel Defense Forces is intertwined with history of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Haganah Logo (1940s) The Haganah (Hebrew: The Defense, ×”×”×’× ×”) was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948. ... Palmach badge The Palmach (in Hebrew - ×¤×œ×ž×— ) was the regular fighting force of the Haganah (the underground army of Jewish settlers during the British Mandate of Palestine). ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... This article is about the Jewish Brigade of the British Army that fought in World War II against the Nazi Axis Powers. ... This article is becoming very long. ... This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ... Irgun poster showing their view of the Land of Israel Irgun (××¨×’×•×Ÿ), shorthand for Irgun Tsvai Leumi (××¨×’×•×Ÿ ×¦×‘××™ ×œ××•×ž×™, also spelled Irgun Zvai Leumi), Hebrew for National Military Organization, was a clandestine militant Zionist group that operated in the British Mandate of Palestine from 1931 to 1948. ... Lehi (IPA: , Hebrew acronym for Lohamei Herut Israel, Fighters for the Freedom of Israel,×œ×—×™ - ×œ×•×—×ž×™ ×—×™×¨×•×ª ×™×©×¨××œ) was an armed underground faction in pre-state Israel that had as its goal the eviction of the British from Palestine to allow unrestricted immigration of Jews and the formation of a Jewish state. ... Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Transjordan Lebanon Iraq Holy War Army Arab Liberation Army Commanders Yaakov Dori, Yigael Yadin Glubb Pasha Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Hasan Salama. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ ) are predominantly speakers of the Arabic language, rather than a pure ethnic group, mainly found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ...

From 1956 to 1966, the IDF faced less conflict and used this time to purchase new equipment and change from an upstart army to a professional fighting force. As well, this period allegedly saw Israel develop their nuclear capability. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

After a decade of peace, the IDF faced a series of regional wars with their neighbours.

Overview

Service and manpower

Regular service

National military service is compulsory for Jewish and Druze men, and Jewish women, over the age of 18, although exemptions may be made on religious, physical or psychological grounds (see Profile 21). Men in the Haredi community may choose to be exempt while enrolled in Yeshivas, a practice that is a source of tension,^[1] though some yeshiva programs like Hesder provide opportunities for service. Druze star Druze The Druze (also known as Druse; Arabic: darazÄ« Ø¯Ø±Ø²ÙŠ, pl. ... Profile 21 (Hebrew: ×¤×¨×•×¤×™×œ 21) is a code used by the military of Israel to classify Israelis who are deemed to have physical or psychological disabilities making them permanently unfit for military service. ... Haredi or Charedi Judaism, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ×™×©×™×‘×” pl. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Men serve three years in the IDF, while women serve two and sometimes under two. The IDF may on occasions require women who volunteer for combat positions to serve for three years because combat soldiers must undergo a lengthy period of training. Women in combat positions are also required to serve as reserve for several years after their dismissal from regular service, pending marriage, or pregnancy, is in order.

Reserve service

Following regular service, men may be called for reserve service of up to one month annually, until the age of 43-45 (reservists may volunteer after this age), and may be called for active duty immediately in times of crisis. In most cases, the reserve duty is carried out in the same unit for years, in many cases the same unit as the active service and by the same people. Many soldiers who have served together in active service continue to meet in reserve duty for years after their discharge, causing reserve duty to become a strong male bonding experience in Israeli society. A well-known Israeli joke refers to civilians as soldiers on 11-month furlough. Male bonding is a term that is used in ethology, social science, and in general usage to describe patterns of friendship and/or cooperation in men (or in the case of ethology: males of various species). ... Look up Furlough in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A furlough (IPA: ) is temporary leave of absence, especially from duty in the armed services or from a prison term. ...

Although still available to be called up in times of crisis, most Israeli men, and virtually all women, do not actually perform reserve service in any given year. Units do not always call up all of their reservists every year, and a variety of exemptions are available if called for regular reserve service. Virtually no exemptions exist for reservists called up in a time of crisis, but experience has shown that in such cases (most recently, Operation Defensive Shield in 2002) exemptions are rarely requested or exercised; units generally achieve recruitment rates above those considered fully-manned. Operation Defensive Shield (In Hebrew, ×ž×‘×¦×¢ ×—×•×ž×ª ×ž×’×Ÿ) was a large-scale military operation conducted by the Israeli Defence Forces in April 2002. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Recently, legislation has been proposed for reform in the reserve service, lowering the maximum service age to 40, designating it as a purely emergency force, as well as many other changes to the current structure (although the Defence Minister can suspend any portion of it at any time for security reasons). The age threshold for many reservists whose positions are not listed, though, will be fixed at 49. The legislation is set out to take effect by 13 March 2008. March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Border Guard service

Some IDF soldiers will serve their mandatory military service in the Mishmar Ha Gvool (Magav) or Israel Border Police. Once the soldiers complete their IDF combat training they undergo additional counter-terror and Border Guard training. They are then assigned to any one of the Border Guard units around the country. MAGAV (in Hebrew מגב ) is an acronym for Mishmar Ha-Gvul ( מישמר הגבול ), which in Hebrew means Frontier Guard. MAGAV is the combat branch of the Israeli Police and its composed from professional officers on payroll and field policemen redirected...

The Border Guard units fight side by side with the regular IDF combat units. They also are responsible for security in heavy urban areas such as the City of Jerusalem.

Many officers in the Border Guard come from the IDF combat units. While the Border Guard does retain their own command structure, on the ground they are almost indistinguishable from the regular IDF units.

Minorities in the IDF

Druze Arabs and Circassians, like Israeli Jews, serve mandatory service in the IDF. Originally, they were taken into a special unit called "The Minorities' Unit", which still exists today, in the form of the Harev patrol battalion, but since the 1980's Druze soldiers have increasingly protested this practice, which they considered a means of segregating them and denying their access to prestigious units. The army has increasingly admitted Druze soldiers to ordinary fighting units and gave them access to higher ranks from which they had been previously excluded. In recent years, some Druze officers have reached positions in the IDF as high as Major General and many have received orders of distinction. Nevertheless, some Druze still complain of discrimination and especially of being excluded from the Air Force, although the official low security classification for Druze has been abolished for some time. The first Druze navigator passed his flying course in 2005, his name is censored due to him being a member of the airforce, and he is the grandchild of one of the defected Syrian Druze from the battle of Ramat Yohanan during the independence war, where approximately 1000 Druze soldiers and officers deserted and joined Israel. Druze star Druze The Druze (also known as Druse; Arabic: darazÄ« Ø¯Ø±Ø²ÙŠ, pl. ... The term Circassians is a term derived from the Turkic Cherkess (Ã‡erkes), and is not the self-designation of any people. ...

The issue of being subject to mandatory conscription, unlike other Israeli Arab citizens, is the subject of an ongoing controversy inside the Druze community itself. Since the late 1970's the Druze Intiative Committee centered at the village of Beit Jan and linked to the Israeli Communist Party had been campaigning to abolish Druze conscription - arguing that the Druze are Arabs and Palestinians and should not be compelled to fight their brothers and sisters; that Druze conscription was instituted in 1956 following an appeal by the heads of the Druze community to then PM Ben Gurion which should not be considered binding on youths born many decades later; and that Druze get both ends of the stick - being conscripted like Jews (and in fact, having a higher percentage of combat casualties than Jews) while being in civilian life subjected to the same discrimination suffered by other Arabs in Israel. Beit Jan is an agricultural settlement in the country of Israel. ... The Communist Party of Israel (known as Maki , an acronym for Miflaga Komunistit Yisraelit) was formed in 1948 by the remnant of the Communist Party of Palestine within the borders of the new state of Israel. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... David Ben-Gurion was the first prime minister of Israel. ...

Such attitudes among the Israeli Druze were increased by contacts with their co-religioinists on the Golan Heights, most of whom consider themselves Syrian patriots, do not recognise the Golan's annexation to Israel and waged an prolonged civil disobedience campaign in 1982, when the government tried to impose on them Israeli citizenship. Also, the first Lebanon War brought Israeli Druze soldiers indirect contact with their Lebanese co-religionists which had the effect of increasing disaffection - especially in 1982-83 when the Druze regarded the government as unfairly supporting Lebanese Christian militias then conducting a bloody conflict with the Lebanese Druze at the Shuf Mountains south of Beirut. Sites on the Golan in blue are Israeli settlement communities. ... It has been suggested that Civil and social disobedience be merged into this article or section. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term Lebanon War is used to describe either of the following events: Lebanese Civil War (starting 1975) 1982 Lebanon War (also known as Operation Peace for Galilee) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Beirut (disambiguation). ...

In each conscription class, dozens of Druze youths are known to either refuse to enlist or fail to show up and be declared "deserters". Druze radical activists complain that Druze conscientious objectors are consistently treated more harshly than Jewish ones and get far longer prison terms. So far, all Israeli government refused to open the policy of Druze conscription to any discussion. Regardless of the controversy on the issue of Druze recruitment, 87% of the Druze men enlist to the IDF, a ten precent higher rate than that of Jewish men. A conscientious objector is an individual whose personal beliefs are incompatible with military service, or sometimes with any role in the armed forces. ...

By law, all Israeli citizens are subject to conscription and it is the Defence Minister's complete discretion to grant excemption to individual citizens or classes of citizens. A long-standing policy dating to Israel's early years extends an exemption to all other Israeli minorities (notably Israeli Arabs but also Black Hebrews and others). However, there is a long-standing governmet policy of encouraging Bedouins to volunteer and offer them various inducements, and in some impoverished Beduin communities a military career seems one of the few means of (relative) social mobility abvailable. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Black Hebrews (or African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem) is a small religious group whose members believe they are descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. ... Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and...

Similar to the above-mentioned Druze, beduin soldiers increasingly complain of being segregated in the army (escpecially in the traditonal role of trackers) and demand to be admitted to ordianry units, and volunteering to military service is an increasingly controversial subject in the beduin community - with opponents of military service pointing, for example, to cases where beduin soldiers returned from dangerous duty in the Occupied Territories to find their family homes in the Negev destroyed by government inspectors. Tracker is the generic term for a class of software music sequencers which, in their purest form, allow the user to arrange sound samples stepwise on a timeline across several monophonic channels. ... An occupied territory is a region that has been taken over by a sovereign power after a military conquest (see military occupation). ... Ruins in the Negev desert The Negev (Hebrew × Ö¶×’Ö¶×‘;, Tiberian Hebrew NÃ©á¸¡eá¸‡; Arabic Ø§Ù„Ù†Ù‚Ø¨ an-Naqab) is the desert region of southern Israel. ...

From among non-beduin Arab citizens, the number of volunteers for military service - some Christian Arabs and even a few Muslim Arabs - is minute, and the government makes no special effort to increase it. Six Israeli Arabs have received orders of distinction as a part of their military service; of them the most famous is a Bedouin officer, Lieutenant Colonel Abd El-Amin Hajer (also known as Amos Yarkoni), who received the Order of Distinction. Recently, a Bedouin officer was promoted to the rank of Colonel. ^{[citation needed]} Christian Arabs are found mainly in Lebanon, with significant other populations in Iraq (e. ... A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…, Turkish: MÃ¼slÃ¼man, Persian and Urdu: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù†, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and...

Until the second term of Yitzchak Rabin as Prime Minister, social benefits given to families in which at least one member (including a granfather, uncle or cousin) had served at some time in the armed forces were significantly higher than to "non-military" families, which was considered a means of blatant discrimination between Jews and Arabs. Rabin had led the abolition of the measure, in the teeth of strong opposition from the Right. At present, the only official advantage from military service is the attaining of security clearance and serving in some types of government positions (in most cases, security-related), as well as some indirect benefits. In practice, however, a large number of Israeli employers placing "wanted" ads include the requirement "after military service" even when the job is in no way security-related, which is considered as an euphemism for "no Arab need apply". The test of former military service is also frequnetly applied in addmittance to various newly-founded communities, effectively barring Arabs from living there. Also, the Israeli national airline El Al hires only pilots who had served in the Air Force, which in practice excludes Arabs from the job. Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (יצחק רבין) (March 1, 1922–November 4, 1995) was an Israeli politician and military general. ... Categories: Airline stubs | Companies of Israel | Transportation in Israel | Airlines of Israel ...

Israeli Arabs claim that this puts them at a disadvantage vs. non-Arab Israeli citizens - although in theory any Israeli Arab has the opportunity to do military service, if he or she wants to, in practice any such volunteer needs to be vetted by the Security Service, and the drafting of Muslims other than Beduins is not encouraged and is often considered a security risk. The Israeli government claims that this arrangement provides equal opportunity for the Arab population.

On the other hand, non-Arab Israelis argue that the mandatory three-year (two years for women) military service puts them at a disadvantage, as they effectively lose three years of their life through their service in the IDF, while the Arab Israelis are able to start right into their jobs after school, or study at a university. In fact, the most frequently heard argument whenever the subject of the discrimination of Arabs comes up - whether on the Knesset floor, in the media or among ordinary citizens - is that the Arabs' "non fulfilment of military duty" justifies thier exclusion from some or all the benefits of citizenship. The late former general Rafael Eitan, when he went into politics in the 1980's, proposed that the right to vote be linked to military service. The idea occasionally crops up again among right-wing groups and parties. The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (×‘×™×ª ×›× ×¡×ª) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... Rafael Eitan (Hebrew: ×¨×¤××œ ××™×ª×Ÿ) (January 11, 1929 â€“ November 23, 2004) was an Israeli general, former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces and later a politician, a Knesset member, and Minister of Agriculture. ...

According to the 2004 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Israel and the occupied territories, "Israeli Arabs were not required to perform mandatory military service and, in practice, only a small percentage of Israeli Arabs served in the military. Those who did not serve in the army had less access than other citizens to social and economic benefits for which military service was a prerequisite or an advantage, such as housing, new-household subsidies, and employment, especially government or security-related industrial employment. Regarding the latter, for security reasons, Israeli Arabs generally were restricted from working in companies with defense contracts or in security-related fields." 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are submitted annually by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress. ... A subsidy is generally a monetary grant given by government in support of an activity regarded as being in the public interest. ...

In recent years, there have been several initiatives to enable Israeli Arabs to volunteer for civilian National Service instead of to the IDF, completion of which would grant the same privileges as those granted to IDF veterans. However, this plan has gained strong resistance from Arab members of the parliament, and as a result, has not been implemented yet. National Service in the 20th century referred primarily to conscription for military service. ...

Since 1993, gays have been allowed to openly serve in the military, including special units.

Women in the IDF

Israel has female conscription, but about a third of female conscripts (more than double the figure for men) are exempted, mainly for religious and nuptial reasons.

Following their active service, women, like men, are in theory required to serve up to one month annually in reserve duty. However, in practice only some women in combat roles get called for active reserve duty, and only for a few years following their active service, with many exit points (e.g., pregnancy).

Apart from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when manpower shortages saw many of them taking active part in battles on the ground, women were historically barred from battle in the IDF, serving in a variety of technical and administrative support roles. During this period however, the IDF reputedly favoured female instructors for training male soldiers in certain roles, particularly tank crews. This was on the basis that female instructors of similar age to the young conscripts were more likely to receive the full attention of their students. But after a landmark 1994 High Court appeal by Alice Miller, a Jewish immigrant from South Africa, the Air Force was instructed to open its pilots course to women (several served as transport pilots during the first Arab-Israeli War in 1948 and "Operation Kadesh" in 1956, but the Air Force later closed its ranks to women fliers). Miller failed the entrance exams, but since her initiative, many additional combat roles were opened. As of 2005, women are allowed to serve in 83% of all positions in the military, including Shipboard Navy Service (except submarines), and Artillery. Combat roles are voluntary for women. Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Transjordan Lebanon Iraq Holy War Army Arab Liberation Army Commanders Yaakov Dori, Yigael Yadin Glubb Pasha Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Hasan Salama. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF) (Hebrew: חיל האוויר Heyl haAvir) is the Air branch of the Israel Defense Force. ... (Redirected from 1956 Suez War) The Suez Crisis, also known as the Suez War, Suez Campaign or Kadesh Operation was a war fought on Egyptian territory in 1956. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

As of 2002, 33% of lower rank Officers are women, 21% of Captains and Majors, but only 3% of the most senior ranks.

450 women currently serve in combat units of Israel's security forces, primarily in the Border Police. The first female fighter pilot received her wings in 2001. In a controversial move, the IDF abolished its "Women's Corps" command in 2004, with a view that it has become an anachronism and a stumbling block towards integration of women in the army as regular soldiers with no special status. However, after pressures from feminist lobbies, The Chief of Staff was persuaded to keep an "advisor for women's affairs". MAGAV (in Hebrew מגב ) is an acronym for Mishmar Ha-Gvul ( מישמר הגבול ), which in Hebrew means Frontier Guard. MAGAV is the combat branch of the Israeli Police and its composed from professional officers on payroll and field policemen redirected... Look up Anachronism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ...

Expenditures and alliances

During 1950-66, Israel spent an average of 9% of its GDP on defense. Defense expenditures increased dramatically after both the 1967 and 1973 wars. They reached a high of about 24% of GDP in the 1980s, but have since come back down to about 9%[1], following the signing of peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt.

In 1983, the United States and Israel established a Joint Political Military Group, which convenes twice a year. Both the U.S. and Israel participate in joint military planning and combined exercises, and have collaborated on military research and weapons development. Additionally the U.S. military maintains two classified, pre-positioned War Reserve Stocks in Israel valued at $493 million. [2] Israel has the official distinction of being an American Major non-NATO ally. As a result of this, America shares the vast majority of its security and military technology with Israel. On November 29, 1983 a memorandum of agreement was set up between Israel and the United States regarding political, military and economic cooperation. ... The military of the United States, officially known as the United States Armed Forces, consist of the: United States Army United States Marine Corps United States Navy United States Air Force United States Coast Guard All the services are under the command of the President of the United States. ... A War Reserve Stock (WRS) is a collection of warfighting material held in reserve in pre-positioned storage to be used if needed in wartime. ... Map of countries designated by the United States as major non-NATO allies Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to exceptionally close allies who have strong strategic working relationships with American forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ...

Since 1976, Israel had been the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance. In recent years, Israel has received about $1.8 billion a year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants from the Department of Defense. This amount has increased in recent years due to non-military economic aid being shifted to military aid.[3]

High command (General Staff)

All branches of the IDF are subordinate to a single General Staff. The Chief of the General Staff (Hebrew acronym: רמטכ"ל, pronounced: Ramatkal) is the only serving officer having the rank of Lieutenant General (in Hebrew: רב אלוף, pronounced: "Rav Aluf"). He reports directly to the Defense Minister and indirectly to the Prime Minister of Israel and the cabinet. Chiefs of Staff are formally appointed by the cabinet, based on the Defense Minister's recommendation, for three years, but the government can vote to extend their service to four (and in rare occasions even five) years. The current chief of staff is (Lieutenant) General (Rav-Aluf) Dan Halutz, who replaced Moshe Ya'alon, on June 1st, 2005. The Israeli General Staff is the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, constituting its supreme command. ... A General Staff is a group of professional military officers who act in a staff or administrative role under the command of a general officer. ... Insignia of the Rav Aluf The Ramatkal (Hebrew: ×¨×ž×˜×›×œ, abbr. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Aluf is the term used for general in the Israeli Defence Forces. ... Defense Ministers of Israel, 1948-present David Ben-Gurion 1948-1954 Pinhas Lavon 1954-1955 David Ben-Gurion 1955-1963 Levi Eshkol 1963-1967 Moshe Dayan 1967-1974 Shimon Peres 1974-1977 Ezer Weizman 1977-1980 Menachem Begin 1980-1981 Ariel Sharon 1981-1983 Moshe Arens 1983-1984 Yitzhak Rabin... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ... General Dan Halutz (Hebrew: ) (born 1948 in Hagor to an Iranian-Jewish family) is an Israeli Air Force Lt. ... General Moshe Yaalon, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (2002-2005) Lieutenant-General Moshe Yaalon (often nicknamed Boogie) (born 1950) was the 17th Chief of Staff (×¨×ž×˜×›×œ) of the Israeli Defence Force. ...

Military structure

The IDF is comprised of the following bodies (those whose respective heads are members of the General Staff are in bold):

Mazi logo The Israeli GOC Army headquarters (Hebrew: , Mifkedet Zroa HaYabasha), abbreviated as Mazi (×ž×–×™), is a multi-corps command headquarters created in 1998, which amalgamates the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Israeli Infantry Corps is a corps in the IDF GOC Army Headquarters. ... The Israeli Amour Corps is a crops of the Israel Defense Forces, since 1998 subordinate to GOC Army Headquarters. ... The Israeli Engineering Corps are the combat engineering forces of ×¦×”×œ - the Israeli Defence Forces. ... The Israeli Artillery Corps is the Israel Defense Forces corps responsible for operating the medium and long-range artillery network. ... The Israeli Field Intelligence Corps is the newest of the IDF GOC Army Headquartersâ€™ five corps, created in April 2000, and is tasked with collecting combat intelligence and is responsible for intelligence units from the battalion level and up to the entire force. ... The Israeli Adjutant Corps is a support corps in the IDF Human Resources Directorate. ... The Israeli Ordnance Corps is a combat-support corps in the IDF GOC Army Headquarters. ... The Israeli Logistics Corps is a support corps in the IDF Central Technological, Logistics, and Medical Directorate, which centralizes the logistical activity in the IDF, including the transporting of supplies, shipments of fuel, construction, and transport. ... The Israeli C4I Corps is a crops in the IDF GOC Army Headquarters responsible for military-related communication. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF) (Hebrew: ×–×¨×•×¢ ×”××•×•×™×¨ ×•×”×—×œ×œ Zroa HaAvir VeHaá¸¤alal, literally Air and Space Arm) is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces and currently operates around 900 aircraft. ... The Israeli Air Defense Network is the IDF Air Force unit responsible for the surface front of Israels air defense, complimenting the air defense provided by the active squadrons. ... Main operational areas of the Israeli Sea Corps as seen from Space Shuttle STS-40: Mediterranean Sea (north), Gulf of Aqaba (east), Red Sea (south), and Gulf of Suez (west). ... The Israeli General Staff is the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, constituting its supreme command. ... The Israeli Operations Directorate is a directorate in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, established in 1999, and alongside the regional commands, the Air Force and Sea corps and General Staff directorates, is responsible in planning for the exercising military force. ... The IDF Spokespersons Unit is a unit in the IDF Operations Directorate, responsible for information policy and media relations. ... Aman badge Aman (××ž×Ÿ) is the Hebrew abbreviation for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Directorate of Military Intelligence (××’×£ ×”×ž×•×“×™×¢×™×Ÿ), Israels central, overarching military intelligence. ... The Israeli Intelligence Corps is an Israel Defense Forces corps which falls under the jurisdiction of Aman and is responsible for collecting, disseminating, and publishing intelligence information for the General Staff and the political branch. ... The Israeli Military Censor is a unit in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence which watches over the publication of information regarding the military network, and generally, the security of Israel. ... The Israeli Human Resources Directorate is the Israel Defense Forces body that coordinates and assembles activities related to the control over human resources and its placement. ... The military police of the Israel Defense Forces (Hebrew: ×—×™×œ ×”×ž×©×˜×¨×” ×”×¦×‘××™×ª, Heyl HaMishtara HaTzvait) is the Israeli military police. ... The Israeli Education and Youth Corps is the IDF Human Resources Directorate corps responsible for the education of soldiers and commanders in Israelâ€™s military. ... The Israeli General Corps is the Israel Defense Forces authority which amalgamates all professional staff soldiers and officers. ... The Military Rabbinate is a unit in the Israel Defense Forces that provides religious services to soliders, including non-Jews. ... The Womens Affairs advisor to the Chief of Staff is a female officer in the Israel Defense Forces, in-charge of promoting freedom of opportunities for women soldiers so as to better develop their abilities and talents in the military, and to provide them with a functional, suitable and diverse... The Israeli Planning Directorate is the central body in the Israel Defense Forces General Staff which deals with strategic planning, the building of military forces, and military organization. ... The Israeli Computer Services Directorate is the Israel Defense Forces body which charts the communication, wireless transmission, computerization, command and control over and defense of information in the IDF. The Directorate was created on March 3, 2003, on the basis of some functions previously held by the C4I Corps, which... The Israeli Central Technological, Logistics, and Medical Directorate is a directorate in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, responsible for the its logistics responses and tasks, and in particular: the building of military bases, maintaining a medical infrastructure during peacetime and times of war and emergencies, caring for... The Israeli Medical Corps is an Israel Defense Forces corps responsible for providing healthcare services and medical treatment and instruction to all levels of the Security Forces. ... Northern Command logo The Israeli Northern Command (Hebrew: ×¤×™×§×•×“ ×¦×¤×•×Ÿ, Pikud Tzafon) is the Israel Defense Forces regional command responsible for the northern front with Syria and Lebanon. ... The Israeli Central Command is a regional command of the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Israeli Southern Command is a regional command of the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Israeli Home Front Command is a relatively recent Israel Defense Forces regional command, created in February 1992 following the Gulf War, which was the first war since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War where the Home Front faced a significant threat. ... The Military Advocate General assists the Israel Defense Forces in imposing rules of conduct through legal advice, legal instruction, maintaining the mechanisms for military prosecution and legal defense, and fulfilling special legal tasks. ... The Israeli Military Court of Appeals is the supreme military court of the Israel Defense Forces which judges over appeals to the district military tribunals: The Central and Air Force district. ... The Financial Advisor to the Chief of Staff is a role assumed by the head of the Budgeting Directorate of Israelâ€™s Ministry of Defense. ... The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories is a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense that engages in coordinating civilian issues between the Government of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces, foreign organizations, and the Palestinian Authority. ... The Military Secretary is the senior military assistant to the British Secretary of State for Defence and formerly to the Secretary of State for War. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Related bodies

The following bodies work closely with the IDF, but do not (or only partially) belong to its formal structure (those whose respective heads are members of the General Staff are in bold).

The Israel Security Forces (ISF) are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ... The Israeli Intelligence Community (Hebrew: ×§×”×™×œ×ª ×”×ž×•×“×™×¢×™×Ÿ ×”×™×©×¨××œ×™×ª) is the designation given to the complex of organizations responsible for intelligence collection, dissemination, and research for the State of Israel. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not include all significant viewpoints. ... Official seal of the Mossad (Hebrew: ×”×ž×•×¡×“ ×œ×ž×•×“×™×¢×™×Ÿ ×•×œ×ª×¤×§×™×“×™× ×ž×™×•×—×“×™×, The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) is an Israeli intelligence agency, often referred to as Mossad (in English: Institution). ... The Israeli National Security Council (Hebrew: ×”×ž×•×¢×¦×” ×œ×‘×™×˜×—×•×Ÿ ×œ××•×ž×™) is a council established by the Prime Ministers Office in 1999 during the prime ministership of Binyamin Netanyahu in the framework of drawing lessons from the Yom Kipur War. ... Israeli Police logo The Israeli police (×ž×©×˜×¨×ª ×™×©×¨××œ) is a civilian force in the State of Israel. ... The Israel Border Police (Hebrew: ×ž×©×ž×¨ ×”×’×‘×•×œ, Mishmar HaGvul) is the combat branch of the Israeli Police. ... The Israel Prison Service (Hebrew: ×©×™×¨×•×ª ×‘×ª×™ ×”×¡×•×”×¨, Sherut Batei HaSohar), commonly known as SHABAS, is the Israeli prison service. ... Honor guard at the Knesset The Knesset Guard is an organization responsible for the protection of Knesset members immunity and the Knesset building. ... IMI logo Israel Military Industries Ltd. ... Israel Aircraft Industries or IAI is Israels prime aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial systems for both military and civilian usage. ... RAFAEL logo RAFAEL Armament Development Authority, known as RAFAEL or Rafael, (also spelled as Raphael or Rephael, and in Hebrew: ×¨×¤××œ - ×¨×©×•×ª ×œ×¤×™×ª×•×— ××ž×¦×¢×™ ×œ×—×™×ž×”) is the Israeli authority for development of weapons and military technology. ... The Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry (Hebrew: ×ž×™× ×”×œ ×œ×ž×—×§×¨ ,×¤×™×ª×•×— ××ž×¦×¢×™ ×œ×—×™×ž×” ×•×ª×©×ª×™×ª ×˜×›× ×•×œ×•×’×™×ª), abbreviated Mafat (×ž×¤××ª), is a joint Israeli Ministry of Defense and Defense Forces body, responsible for ensuring the States ability to develop the material military basis for the IDF. The Administration centralizes and helps to coordinate the... Defense Establishment Comptroller Unit (Hebrew: ×™×—×™×“×ª ×ž×‘×§×¨ ×ž×¢×¨×›×ª ×”×‘×™×˜×—×•×Ÿ) is an Israel Defense Forces unit which supervises and overseas the fitness, preparedness, and legality of the Israeli Security Forces activities, in all its parts. ... Director-general is the professional head of a UK Executive Agency which contains other agencies headed by directors. ... The Ministry of Defense (or Ministry of Defence) of the goverment of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Israel from internal and external military threats. ...

Israeli military technology

The IDF possesses top-of-the-line weapons and computer systems; some of it American-made or indigenously modified (such as the M4A1 assault rifle, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon jets and Apache helicopter). Israel receives more than US$2 billion per year in military aid from the United States, and much of it requires that American equipment be purchased with it. In spite of this however, Israel also has developed its own independent weapons industry. Weapons such as the Merkava battle tank, Kfir jet series, and various small arms such as the Galil assault rifle and Uzi submachine gun have all proven to be very successful. The M4 Carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 made by ArmaLite. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle is an American-built all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics in the United States. ... The Boeing IDS AH-64 Apache is the US Armys principal attack helicopter, the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. ... Merkava (Hebrew: , chariot) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel Military Industries for the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir (Hebrew: ×›×¤×™×¨, Lion Cub) is an Israeli-built all-weather, multi-role combat aircraft based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. ... The Galil is one of the standard assault rifles used by the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Uzi is a compact, boxy, light-weight submachine gun. ...

The IDF also has several large internal research and development departments, and it purchases many technologies produced by the Israeli security industries including IAI, IMI, Elbit, El-Op, Rafael, Soltam and dozens of smaller firms. Many of these developments have been battle-tested in Israel's numerous military engagements, making the relationship mutually beneficial, the IDF getting tailor-made solutions and the industries a very high repute. The phrase research and development (also R and D or R&D) has a special commercial significance apart from its conventional coupling of scientific research and technological development. ... Israel Aircraft Industries or IAI is Israels prime aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial systems for both military and civilian usage. ... IMI logo Israel Military Industries Ltd. ... Elbit Systems Ltd. ... Elbit Systems Ltd. ... Raphael (also spelled as Rafael or Rephael, and in Hebrew: רפאל - רשות לפיתוח אמצעי לחימה ) is the Israeli authority for development of weapons and military technology. ... Soltam is an Israeli-International company which operate both on the military market and the civilian market. ...

Main Israeli developments

Israel's military technology is most famous for its guns, armored fighting vehicles (tanks, tank-converted APCs, armoured bulldozers etc) and rocketry (missiles and rockets). Israel also designs and in some cases it has manufactured aircraft (Kfir, Lavi; both discontinued) and naval systems (patrol and missile ships). Much of the IDF's electronic systems (intelligence, communication, command and control, navigation etc.) are Israeli-developed, including many systems installed on foreign platforms (esp. aircraft, tanks and submarines). So are many of its precision-guided munitions. Merkava mk-3 Baz Dor-Daleth LIC File links The following pages link to this file: Merkava ... Merkava mk-3 Baz Dor-Daleth LIC File links The following pages link to this file: Merkava ... Merkava (Hebrew: , chariot) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel Military Industries for the Israel Defense Forces. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... East German BRDMs on parade during celebrations of the 40th anniversary of East Germany in 1989 Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are light armoured fighting vehicles for the transport of infantry. ... A Caterpillar D10N bulldozer at work A bulldozer is a very powerful crawler (caterpillar tracked tractor) equipped with a blade. ... The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir (Hebrew: ×›×¤×™×¨, Lion Cub) is an Israeli-built all-weather, multi-role combat aircraft based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. ... IAI Lavi (Hebrew for - Young Lion) is a prototype concept fighter jet Indigenously developed by Israel. ... BOLT-117 laser guided bomb Precision-guided munitions (smart munitions or smart bombs) are self-guiding weapons intended to maximize damage to the target while minimizing collateral damage. Because the damage effects of an explosive weapon scale as a power law with distance, quite modest improvements in accuracy (and hence...

Israel and the United States are the only countries in the world with an anti-ballistic missile defense system ("Hetz", Arrow, or Patriot (U.S.) developed with funding and technology from the United States), though an operational system is in place protecting the Moscow area. Israel has also worked with the U.S. on development of a tactical high energy laser system against medium range rockets (called Nautilus THEL). Arrow anti-ballistic missile launch The Arrow Interceptor (×˜×™×œ ×—×¥, Hebrew: Khetz) is a theater missile defense (TMD) system; it is the first missile that was specifically designed and built to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles on a national level. ... // Experiment using a (likely argon) laser. ...

Israel has the independent capability of launching reconnaissance satellites into orbit (a capability which only Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the People's Republic of China, India and Japan hold). Both the satellites (Ofeq) and the launchers (Shavit) were developed by the Israeli security industries. A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite or recon sat) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. ... Ofeq 5 Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek (Hebrew: ××•×¤×§, Horizon) is the designation of a series of Israeli reconnaissance satellites. ... Shavit (Hebrew: comet) is a launch vehicle produced by Israel. ...

Israel is also said to have developed an indigenous nuclear capability, although no official details or acknowledgements have ever been publicized. On the issue of this nuclear weapons program, Israel chooses to follow a policy of deliberate ambiguity. Israel is widely believed to possess a substantial arsenal of nuclear weapons and intermediate-range ballistic missiles to deliver them. ... Many nations may find it to their advantage to maintain a policy of deliberate ambiguity (also known as a policy of strategic ambiguity). ...

Specific weapon systems

M16 is the U.S. military designation for a family of rifles derived from the ArmaLite AR-15 and further developed by Colt. ... The M4 Carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 made by ArmaLite. ... Caliber: 5. ... Steyr AUG is the one of the most successful bullpup rifles Bullpup is a firearm configuration in which the action (or mechanism) and magazine are located behind the trigger. ... The Galil is one of the standard assault rifles used by the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Uzi is a compact, boxy, light-weight submachine gun. ... The IMI Negev is a light-weight, 5. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Jericho 941F with a frame mounted safety and no decocker. ... The M89SR is a gas operated semi-automatic sniper rifle, currently produced by Technical Equipment International (TEI), an Israeli company based in Tel Aviv. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Corner Shot Holdings, LLC is a joint U.S.-Israeli company headquartered in Miami, Florida. ... Merkava (Hebrew: , chariot) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel Military Industries for the Israel Defense Forces. ... The US M1A1 Abrams tank is a typical modern main battle tank. ... A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ... Low intensity conflict (LIC) is an armed conflict, usually between a regular army or law enforcement and non-regular armed militias (terror organization, guerrilla fighters, gangs, rioters etc). ... US Marines fight in the city of Fallujah during Operation Al Fajr (New Dawn) in November 2004. ... Conqueror Armoured Recovery Vehicle 2 An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle-damaged or broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them off the battlefield for more extensive repairs. ... Magach מגח (in full, Merkevet Giborey Chayil, מרכבת גיבורי חייל; Hebrew: Chariot of War Heroes) is a series of Israeli tanks, based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks. ... The M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the United States Armys principal tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, on the making of the eponymous film. ... The EBG combat engineering vehicle, based on the AMX 30 tank, is used by the engineers of the French Army for a variety of missions. ... Combat engineers place satchel charges and detonating cord, preparatory to blowing up a railway bridge during the Korean War, 30 Jul 1950. ... The Achzarit (אכזרית) is a heavily armored armored personnel carrier/Infantry fighting vehicle manufactured by the Israeli Defence Forces. ... East German BRDMs on parade during celebrations of the 40th anniversary of East Germany in 1989 Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are light armoured fighting vehicles for the transport of infantry. ... The Centurion was the primary British Main Battle Tank of the immediate post-war era, and considered by many to be one of the best British tank designs of all time. ... Nagmachon (Nagmash and Shot) is an Israeli tank platform using Shot hulls from the 1970s and 1980s. ... The Caterpillar D9 is a large track-type tractor (commonly referred to as a bulldozer) with caterpillar tracks designed and manufactured by Caterpillar Tractor Company. ... An armored Caterpillar D9 bulldozer used by the IDF. Armored bulldozers are a standard tool of combat engineering battalions, and the Israeli Defence Forces has gained notoriety for their use of armored bulldozers for urban warfare in the Al-Aqsa Intifada. ... The Machbet (hebrew ×ž×—×‘×˜, which means racquet) is an Israeli upgrade of the M163 self-propelled automatic anti-aircraft gun, based in turn on the M113 armored personnel carrier. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... A group of â€œquad bikeâ€ all terrain vehicles The term all-terrain vehicle is used in a general sense to describe any of a number of small open motorised buggies and tricycles designed for off-road use. ... An Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is a missile the primary purpose of which is to hit and destroy tanks. ... boobies ... Shavit (Hebrew: comet) is a launch vehicle produced by Israel. ... The Python is a family of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) built by the Israeli weapons manufacturing company RAFAEL Armament Development Authority. ... The Python 5 is a short range air-to-air missile developed by the Israeli arms manufacturer Rafael. ... The AGM-142 Have Nap is a missile developed by the United States of America. ... The worlds first operational, sea-skimming, sea to sea missile, development of the Gabriel for the Israeli Navy began in 1962. ... RBS-15 missile launched from a Sisu missile carriage. ... Arrow anti-ballistic missile launch The Arrow Interceptor (×˜×™×œ ×—×¥, Hebrew: Khetz) is a theater missile defense (TMD) system; it is the first missile that was specifically designed and built to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles on a national level. ... Polish missile wz. ... Category: ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... MILSTAR:A Communciation Satellite A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... Ofeq 5 Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek (Hebrew: ××•×¤×§, Horizon) is the designation of a series of Israeli reconnaissance satellites. ... A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite or recon sat) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. ... Amos was a Biblical prophet (see Amos (prophet)) and putative author of the Book of Amos. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications. ... The LITENING targeting pod is a precision targeting pod system currently operational with a wide variety of combat aircraft. ... DC-10, retired from American Airlines fleet at gate McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. ... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... DC-10, retired from American Airlines fleet at gate McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle is an American-built all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. ... GD redirects here. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics in the United States. ... Merkava (Hebrew: , chariot) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel Military Industries for the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Dolphin class is a non-nuclear type of submarine developed and constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) for the Israeli Navy. ... The IAI Nesher is an Israeli-built military aircraft based on the French Mirage 5 Dassault had developed the Mirage 5 at the request of the Israelis. ... The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir (Hebrew: ×›×¤×™×¨, Lion Cub) is an Israeli-built all-weather, multi-role combat aircraft based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. ... The Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. ... IAI Lavi (Hebrew for - Young Lion) is a prototype concept fighter jet Indigenously developed by Israel. ... Arava can refer to: Arabah, a section of the Great Rift Valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba in Israel. ... STOL is an acronym for Short Take-Off and Landing, used in the aircraft industry to describe airplanes with very short runway requirements. ... Unmanned Aerial Vehicle over Iraq. ... Missile Boat, see Missile Boat (disambiguation) A Missile Boat is a form of patrol boat armed with anti-ship missiles. ... The Saar 4 class missile boats were built at the Israel shipyards and based on Israeli Navy designs grounded in accumulated experience derived in the operation of cherburg (Saar 3) class. ... Saar 4. ... INS Eilat - Saar 5 class missile boat Saar 5 is an Israeli Navy missile boat, designed based on lessons learnt from the Saar 4. ...

Nuclear capability

It is generally believed that Israel has nuclear weapons. The weapons are thought to have been developed at the Negev Nuclear Research Center's nuclear reactor since the 1960's. The first two nuclear bombs were probably operational before the Six-Day War and Prime Minister Levi Eshkol ordered them armed in Israel's first nuclear alert during that war. It is also believed that, fearing defeat in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israelis assembled thirteen twenty-kiloton nuclear bombs. Israel is widely believed to possess a substantial arsenal of nuclear weapons and intermediate-range ballistic missiles to deliver them. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... Institute 2, Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), Dimona, photographed by Mordechai Vanunu The Negev Nuclear Research Center is an Israeli nuclear installation located in the Negev desert, near the city of Dimona, at . ... Combatants Israel Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq Commanders Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkiss, Israel Tal, Ariel Sharon Abdel Hakim Amer, Abdul Munim Riad, Zaid ibn Shaker, Hafez al-Assad Strength 50,000 troops (264,000 including mobilized reservists); 197 combat aircraft Egypt 150,000 troops; Syria 75,000; Jordan 55... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... â–¶(?) (Hebrew ×œÖµ×•Ö´×™ ×Ö¶×©Ö°××›Ö¼×•Ö¹×œ ) (Born Levi Skolnick) (Hebrew ×œÖµ×•Ö´×™ ×©Ö°××§×•Ö¹×œÖ°× Ö´×™×§) (October 25, 1895 - February 26, 1969), was the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death of a heart attack in 1969. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Jordan Iraq Commanders Moshe Dayan David Elazar Ariel Sharon Shmuel Gonen Benjamin Peled Israel Tal Rehavam Zeevi Aharon Yariv Yitzhak Hofi Rafael Eitan Abraham Adan Yanush Ben Gal Saad El Shazly Ahmad Ismail Ali Hosni Mubarak Mohammed Aly Fahmy Anwar Sadat Abdel Ghani el-Gammasy Abdul... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ...

The current size and composition of Israel's nuclear stockpile is uncertain, and is the subject of various estimates and reports. FAS estimates that Israel probably has 100-200 nuclear warheads, which can be delivered by airplanes (A-4 Skyhawk or converted F-4 Phantom II), or ballistic missiles (Lance, Jericho or Jericho II missiles). The Jericho II is reported to have a range between 1,500 and 4,000 km, meaning that it can target sites as far away as central Russia, Iran and Libya. The A-4 Skyhawk is an attack aircraft originally designed to operate from United States Navy aircraft carriers. ... The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II[2] was a two-seat supersonic long-range all-weather fighter-bomber produced for the United States military by McDonnell Douglas. ... Polish missile wz. ... boobies ...

It has also been speculated that the Israeli Navy's three Dolphin class submarines may be capable of carrying nuclear-armed specially-modified Popeye Turbo cruise missiles. These missiles are purported to have a 1,500 km range and are supposedly fired out of what are suspected to be unusually-sized additional torpedo tubes that were allegedly installed on the Dolphin submarine and are otherwise larger than what is required to accommodate any currently known western torpedo design in existence. A test of such a missile is alleged to have taken place off the coast of Sri Lanka in May 2000. Nevertheless, some military analysts have labeled such rumors to be highly unlikely and impossible given the logistics of the submarines. Furthermore, there is no factual basis for the origins of the alleged test firing. The Dolphin class is a non-nuclear type of submarine developed and constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) for the Israeli Navy. ... A Tomahawk cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile which uses a lifting wing and most often a jet propulsion system to allow sustained flight. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

The Israeli government has neither acknowledged nor denied that it possesses nuclear weapons, an official policy referred to as "ambiguity". However, details of Israel's nuclear program were revealed in 1986 to the British press by Mordechai Vanunu, a former nuclear technician. Following these revelations, Mordechai Vanunu was abducted by the Mossad and convicted of treason in his country. Released in 2004 under specific conditions, he lives today under surveillance in Israel. Many nations may find it to their advantage to maintain a policy of deliberate ambiguity (also known as a policy of strategic ambiguity). ... Mordechai Vanunu in the garden of St. ... Official seal of the Mossad (Hebrew: ×”×ž×•×¡×“ ×œ×ž×•×“×™×¢×™×Ÿ ×•×œ×ª×¤×§×™×“×™× ×ž×™×•×—×“×™×, The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) is an Israeli intelligence agency, often referred to as Mossad (in English: Institution). ...

Ranks and insignia

The Israel Defense Forces has four enlisted ranks, as well as: Notes If the ranks of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are to be translated one-to-one to Western ranks then a Rav Aluf is equivalent to Lieutenant General (since Major General is Aluf). But since Rav Aluf in Israel is the high commander of the army (including air force... This page details the insignia of the Israel Defense Forces, excluding rank insignia. ...

Non-officer enlisted ranks include: Samal rishon (Samar), Samal, Rav turai (Rabat), Turai Insignia of the Rav Aluf The Ramatkal (Hebrew: ×¨×ž×˜×›×œ, abbr. ...

Unlike most world armies, these ranks are common for all corps in the IDF, including the air force and navy.

Enlisted personnel sew their ranks to their sleeves, while officers and NCOs wear them on their shoulders.

Code of Conduct

In 1992, the IDF drafted a Code of Conduct that is a combination of international law, Israeli law, Jewish heritage and the IDF's own traditional ethical code - Ruach Tzahal רוח צה"ל ("The Spirit of the IDF"). This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ...

The Values of the IDF

Tenacity of Purpose in Performing Missions and Drive to Victory - "The IDF servicemen and women will fight and conduct themselves with courage in the face of all dangers and obstacles; They will persevere in their missions resolutely and thoughtfully even to the point of endangering their lives."

Responsibility - "The IDF serviceman or woman will see themselves as active participants in the defense of the state, its citizens and residents. They will carry out their duties at all times with initiative, involvement and diligence with common sense and within the framework of their authority, while prepared to bear responsibility for their conduct."

Credibility - "The IDF servicemen and women shall present things objectively, completely and precisely, in planning, performing and reporting. They will act in such a manner that their peers and commanders can rely upon them in performing their tasks."

Personal Example - "The IDF servicemen and women will comport themselves as required of them, and will demand of themselves as they demand of others, out of recognition of their ability and responsibility within the military and without to serve as a deserving role model."

Human Life - "The IDF servicemen and women will act in a judicious and safe manner in all they do, out of recognition of the supreme value of human life. During combat they will endanger themselves and their comrades only to the extent required to carry out their mission."

Purity of Arms - "The IDF servicemen and women will use their weapons and force only for the purpose of their mission, only to the necessary extent and will maintain their humanity even during combat. IDF soldiers will not use their weapons and force to harm human beings who are not combatants or prisoners of war, and will do all in their power to avoid causing harm to their lives, bodies, dignity and property." Part of the Israeli Defense Forces official doctrine of ethics is a purity of arms code. ...

Professionalism - "The IDF servicemen and women will acquire the professional knowledge and skills required to perform their tasks, and will implement them while striving continuously to perfect their personal and collective achievements."

Discipline - "The IDF servicemen and women will strive to the best of their ability to fully and successfully complete all that is required of them according to orders and their spirit. IDF soldiers will be meticulous in giving only lawful orders, and shall refrain from obeying blatantly illegal orders."

Comradeship - "The IDF servicemen and women will act out of fraternity and devotion to their comrades, and will always go to their assistance when they need their help or depend on them, despite any danger or difficulty, even to the point of risking their lives."

Sense of Mission - "The IDF soldiers view their service in the IDF as a mission; They will be ready to give their all in order to defend the state, its citizens and residents. This is due to the fact that they are representatives of the IDF who act on the basis and in the framework of the authority given to them in accordance with IDF orders."

Code of Conduct against terrorists

Recently, a team of professors, commanders and former judges, led by Tel Aviv University the holder of the Ethics chair, Professor Assa Kasher, developed a code of conduct which emphasizes the right behavior in low intensity warfare against terrorists, where soldiers must operate within a civilian population. Reserve units and regular units alike are taught the following eleven rules of conduct, which are an addition to the more general IDF Spirit: The Engineering Faculty Boulevard The Smolarz Auditorium Tel Aviv University (TAU, ××•× ×™×‘×¨×¡×™×˜×ª ×ª×œ ××‘×™×‘, ××ª×) is one of Israels major universities. ... Ethics (from the Ancient Greek ethikos, meaning arising from habit) is a major branch of philosophy. ... Low intensity conflict (LIC) is an armed conflict, usually between a regular army or law enforcement and non-regular armed militias (terror organization, guerrilla fighters, gangs, rioters etc). ...

Criticism

Critics, including B'Tselem and Amnesty International accuse Israel of frequently violating their own Purity of Arms and code of ethics, and protecting soldiers who do. IDF has warned both senior and junior military officers alike of possible arrest and charges of war crimes if they set foot in Europe based on their conduct in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War.[4] // BTselem (Hebrew ×‘×¦×œ×, in the image of, as in Genesis 1:27) is an non-governmental organization (NGO) that describes itself as The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an non-governmental membership organization with the stated purpose of campaigning for internationally recognized human rights. ... Part of the Israeli Defense Forces official doctrine of ethics is a purity of arms code. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighboring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Combatants Hezbollah Israel Commanders Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General) Dan Halutz (CoS), Moshe Kaplinsky[5], Udi Adam (Regional) Strength 600-1,000 fighters 3,000-5,000 available 10,000 reservist [2] 30,000 ground troops (plus IAF & ISC) [6] Casualties Hezbollah militia: 74 dead confirmed by Hezbollah [3] 180 dead...

Israel has been accused of committing war crimes in 2006 Israel-Lebanon War by the non-governmental organisations Amnesty International [5] and Human Rights Watch [6]. In the context of war, a war crime is a punishable offense under International Law, for violations of the laws of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... Combatants Hezbollah Israel Commanders Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General) Dan Halutz (CoS), Moshe Kaplinsky[5], Udi Adam (Regional) Strength 600-1,000 fighters 3,000-5,000 available 10,000 reservist [2] 30,000 ground troops (plus IAF & ISC) [6] Casualties Hezbollah militia: 74 dead confirmed by Hezbollah [3] 180 dead... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an non-governmental membership organization with the stated purpose of campaigning for internationally recognized human rights. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ...

Counterterrorism tactics

Owing to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the tactics of the IDF have been adapted for low intensity warfare primarily against Palestinian militants operating from within densely-populated Israeli occupied territory. Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... Low intensity conflict (LIC) is an armed conflict, usually between a regular army or law enforcement and non-regular armed militias (terror organization, guerrilla fighters, gangs, rioters etc). ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ...

Targeted killing

The IDF employs a controversial strategy of "focused foiling" (in Hebrew: סיכול ממוקד sikul memukad), termed "extra-judicial executions" by human rights organizations,^[2] of presumed Palestinian terrorist leaders, aimed at preventing future acts of violence by killing a person related to anticipated future violence (such as terrorist at the stages of planning or executing a terrorist attack). Targeted killing is a controversial strategy whereby anticipated acts of terrorism are prevented by killing a person deemed to be related to those acts. ... The following is a list of assassinations known or believed to have been conducted by Israel. ... Hebrew (×¢Ö´×‘Ö°×¨Ö´×™×ª or ×¢×‘×¨×™×ª, â€˜Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Terror is a pronounced state of fear, an overwhelming sense of imminent danger. ...

Among prominent figures assassinated by Israel are Abu Jihad, Abbas al-Musawi, and Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Khalil El-Wazir (Abu Jihad), (1935-1988) Khalil Al-Wazir (October 10, 1935â€“April 16, 1988), better known by the kunya Abu Jihad (Arabic: father of Jihad) and Al-Wazir (the top minister), was a founder of the Palestinian armed group Fatah, and later a top aide to Yassir Arafat. ... Abbas al-Musawi (c. ... Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin (~1937 — March 22, 2004) was the leader of Hamas until he was killed by an Israeli helicopter gunship. ...

House demolitions

The IDF has historically used a strategy of demolishing houses of family members of suicide bombers, originally claiming that this was a very effective prevention tactic: Would-be bombers' families sometimes prevent the bomber, sometimes even going as far as informing to the IDF, in the hope of preventing their family-member's death as well as their house being demolished. Some would-be bombers even relented at the last moment, fearing their parent's home would be demolished. Critics, including human right organizations,^[3] contend that effectiveness does not legitimize excessive force. They also contend that the demolitions carried out by the IDF disproportionately affect civilians. However, many Israelis accept this tactic as necessary.

During the recent conflict, the number of houses demolished has increased significantly, both as the result of an increase in the number of suicide bombers, as well as due to more lenient criteria for house demolition. The IDF now routinely demolishes houses from which shots were fired at nearby traffic or settlements, houses harboring concealed Smuggling tunnel entrances in the Gaza strip, and for other security reasons. Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground, used for smuggling of goods, illegal weapons and people. ...

Another main source for house demolition is in the course of fighting. After several IDF soldiers were killed early in the conflict while searching houses containing militants, the IDF started employing a tactic of surrounding such houses, calling on the occupants (civilian and militant) to exit, and demolishing the house on top of the militants within in case they do not surrender. This tactic is now used whenever feasible (i.e., non multi-rise building that's separated from other houses). Palestinians claim several cases in which houses were demolished on top of incapacitated or deaf civilian occupants. However, the IDF claims that in the vast majority of cases the occupants were militants.

In some heavy fighting incidents, esp. in the Battle of Jenin 2002 and Operation Rainbow in Rafah 2004, heavily-armored IDF Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were used to demolish houses to widen alleyways or to secure locations for IDF troops. The Battle of Jenin took place in April 2002 in Jenins Palestinian refugee camp as part of Operation Defensive Shield, a large-scale military operation conducted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the largest conducted in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. ... Operation Rainbow (In Hebrew, ×ž×‘×¦×¢ ×§×©×ª ×‘×¢× ×Ÿ) is a controversial military operation which began on May 18, 2004 in the Gaza Strip. ... Rafah (Arabic: Ø±ÙØ Hebrew: ×¨×¤×™×—) is a town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border, on the Sinai Peninsula. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alternative meanings: vehicle armour, Armor (novel) A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ... The Caterpillar D9 is a large track-type tractor (commonly referred to as a bulldozer) with caterpillar tracks designed and manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. ... A bulldozer is a powerful crawler (tractor) equipped with a blade. ...

Palestinians and international organizations say the use of bulldozers by the IDF is illegal. In one well-known incident, International Solidarity Movement activist Rachel Corrie was killed while trying to stop a bulldozer in Rafah. The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) was founded in 2001 by Ghassan Andoni, a Palestinian activist; and Neta Golan, an Israeli activist. ... Rachel Corrie Rachel Corrie (April 10, 1979 â€“ March 16, 2003) was a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) who traveled as an activist to the Gaza Strip during the Al-Aqsa Intifada. ...

In summer 2005, after numerous houses had been destroyed, the Israeli army itself came to the conclusion that these demolitions do not contribute to Israel's security and announced putting an end to this policy. This does however not mean that, as part of its "low intensity warfare", the IDF would not destroy civilian homes during combat. Low intensity conflict (LIC) is an armed conflict, usually between a regular army or law enforcement and non-regular armed militias (terror organization, guerrilla fighters, gangs, rioters etc). ...

US Marines fight in the city of Fallujah during Operation Al Fajr (New Dawn) in November 2004. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with MOUT. (Discuss) CQB, sometimes CQC, is an acronym for Close Quarters Battle or Close Quarters Combat, and refers to fighting methods within buildings, streets, narrow alleys and other places where visibility and maneuverability are limited. ...

Contents

History

Overview

Service and manpower

Regular service

Reserve service

Border Guard service

Minorities in the IDF

Women in the IDF

Expenditures and alliances

High command (General Staff)

Military structure

Arms

Branches

Regional commands

Other bodies

Related bodies

Security forces

Development

Oversight

Israeli military technology

Main Israeli developments

Specific weapon systems

Nuclear capability

Ranks and insignia

Code of Conduct

The Values of the IDF

Code of Conduct against terrorists

Criticism

Counterterrorism tactics

Targeted killing

House demolitions

See also

Related IDF articles

General related articles

References and footnotes

Further reading

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Overview

Service and manpower

Regular service

Reserve service

Border Guard service

Minorities in the IDF

Women in the IDF

Expenditures and alliances

High command (General Staff)

Military structure

Arms

Branches

Regional commands

Other bodies

Related bodies

Security forces

Development

Oversight

Israeli military technology

Main Israeli developments

Specific weapon systems

Nuclear capability

Ranks and insignia

Code of Conduct

The Values of the IDF

Code of Conduct against terrorists

Criticism

Counterterrorism tactics

Targeted killing

House demolitions

See also

Related IDF articles

General related articles

References and footnotes

Further reading

History