The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; Hebrew: צְבָא הֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, romanized: , lit. 'Army for the Defense of Israel'), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security apparatus. The IDF is headed by the chief of the general staff, who is subordinate to the defense minister. On the orders of first prime minister David Ben-Gurion, the IDF was formed on 26 May 1948 and began to operate as a conscript military, drawing its initial recruits from the already existing paramilitaries of the Yishuv—namely Haganah, the Irgun, and Lehi. It was formed shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence and has participated in every armed conflict involving Israel. In the wake of the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, the IDF underwent a significant strategic realignment. Previously spread across various fronts—Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—the IDF redirected its focus towards southern Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. In 2000, the IDF withdrew from Southern Lebanon and in 2005 from Gaza. Conflict between Israel and Islamist groups based in Gaza, notably Hamas, has continued since then. Moreover, notable Israeli–Syrian border incidents have occurred frequently since 2011, due to regional instability caused by the Syrian civil war. Since 1967, the IDF has maintained a close security relationship with the United States, including in research and development cooperation, with joint efforts on the F-15I and the Arrow defence system, among others. The IDF is believed to have maintained an operational nuclear weapons capability since 1967, possibly possessing between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads. The IDF's actions and policies in the Palestinian territories have faced widespread criticism, with accusations of repression, institutionalized discrimination, unlawful killings and systematic abuses of Palestinian rights, with multiple human rights organizations and scholars accusing the IDF of genocide.
== Etymology == The Israeli cabinet ratified the name "Israel Defense Forces" (Hebrew: צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), Tzva haHagana leYisra'el, literally "the army for the defence of Israel", on 26 May 1948. The other main contender was Tzva Yisra'el (Hebrew: צְבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל, lit. 'army of Israel'). The name was chosen because it conveyed the idea that the army's role was defence and incorporated the name Haganah, the pre-state defensive organization upon which the new army was based. Among the primary opponents of the name were Minister Haim-Moshe Shapira and the Hatzohar party, both in favor of Tzva Yisra'el. In Israel's basic law about the military, the Hebrew name of the IDF is צבא הגנה לישראל, Tzva Hagana LeYisra'el, without a definite article on the second word.
History
Background
The IDF traces its roots to Jewish paramilitary organizations in the New Yishuv, starting with the Second Aliyah (1904 to 1914). There had been several such organizations, or in part even older date, such as the "Mahane Yehuda" mounted guards company founded by Michael Halperin in 1891 (see Ness Ziona), HaMagen (1915–17), HaNoter (1912–13; see Zionism: Pre-state self-defense), and the much more consequential (but falsely-claimed "first" such organization), Bar-Giora, founded in September 1907. Bar-Giora was transformed into Hashomer in April 1909, which operated until the British Mandate of Palestine came into being in 1920. Hashomer was an elitist organization with a narrow scope and was mainly created to protect against criminal gangs seeking to steal property. The Zion Mule Corps and the Jewish Legion, both part of the British Army of World War I, further bolstered the Yishuv with military experience and manpower, forming the basis for later paramilitary forces. After the 1920 Palestine riots against Jews in April 1920, the Yishuv leadership realized the need for a nationwide underground defence organization, and the Haganah was founded in June 1920. The Haganah became a full-scale defence force after the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine with an organized structure, consisting of the Field Corps and Guard Corps. During World War II, the Yishuv participated in the British war effort, with about 30,000 Jews from Palestine joining the British Armed Forces, serving in the British Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy. Other volunteers served in the British Merchant Navy. In addition, the Haganah established the Palmach as its commando force with British assistance, and it participated in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. The Yishuv's volunteering efforts during the war culminated in the creation of the Jewish Brigade, a formation of the British Army primarily consisting of Jewish soldiers from Palestine led by British-Jewish officers which fought in the Italian campaign. As a result of the war, the Yishuv gained a wealth of training and experience that would be crucial in building a new military. Veterans of the war would eventually form the backbone of the Israel Defense Forces and provide it with its initial manpower and doctrine.
Establishment of the IDF during the 1948 Palestine War
Following Israel's Declaration of Independence, Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion issued an order for the formation of the Israel Defense Forces on 26 May 1948. Although Ben-Gurion had no legal authority to issue such an order, the order was made legal by the cabinet on 31 May. The same order called for the disbandment of all other Jewish armed forces. The two other Jewish underground organizations, Irgun and Lehi, agreed to join the IDF if they would be able to form independent units and agreed not to make independent arms purchases. This was the background for the Altalena Affair, a confrontation surrounding weapons purchased by the Irgun resulting in a standoff between Irgun members and the newly created IDF. The affair came to an end when Altalena, the ship carrying the arms, was shelled by the IDF. Following the affair, all independent Irgun and Lehi units were either disbanded or merged into the IDF. The Palmach, a leading component of the Haganah, also joined the IDF with provisions, and Ben Gurion responded by disbanding its staff in 1949, after which many senior Palmach officers retired, notably its first commander, Yitzhak Sadeh. The new army organized itself when the 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine escalated into the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, which saw neighbouring Arab states attack. Twelve infantry and armoured brigades formed: Golani, Carmeli, Alexandroni, Kiryati, Givati, Etzioni, the 7th, and 8th armoured brigades, Oded, Harel, Yiftach, and the Negev. After the war, some of the brigades were converted to reserve units, and others were disbanded. Directorates and corps were created from corps and services in the Haganah, and this basic structure in the IDF still exists today. Immediately after the 1948 war, the Israel-Palestinian conflict shifted to a low-intensity conflict between the IDF and Palestinian fedayeen. In the 1956 Suez Crisis, the IDF's first serious test of strength after 1949, the new army captured the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, which was later returned. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel conquered the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Golan Heights from the surrounding Arab states, changing the balance of power in the region as well as the role of the IDF. In the following years leading up to the Yom Kippur War, the IDF fought in the War of Attrition against Egypt in the Sinai and a border war against the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jordan, culminating in the Battle of Karameh. The surprise of the Yom Kippur War and its aftermath completely changed the IDF's procedures and approach to warfare. Organizational changes were made and more time was dedicated to training for conventional warfare. However, in the following years the army's role slowly shifted again to low-intensity conflict, urban warfare and counter-terrorism. An example of the latter was the successful 1976 Operation Entebbe commando raid to free hijacked airline passengers being held captive in Uganda. During this era, the IDF also mounted a successful bombing mission in Iraq to destroy its nuclear reactor. It was involved in the Lebanese Civil War, initiating Operation Litani and later the 1982 Lebanon War, where the IDF ousted Palestinian guerrilla organizations from Lebanon.
For twenty-five years the IDF maintained a security zone inside South Lebanon with their allies the South Lebanon Army. Palestinian militancy has been the main focus of the IDF ever since, especially during the First and Second Intifadas, Operation Defensive Shield, the Gaza War (2008–2009), the 2012 Gaza War, the 2014 Gaza War, and the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, causing the IDF to change many of its values and publish the IDF Code of Ethics. The Lebanese Shia organization Hezbollah has also been a growing threat, against which the IDF fought an asymmetric conflict between 1982 and 2000, as well as a full-scale war in 2006. The Israel Defense Forces have been accused of committing various war crimes since the founding of Israel in 1948. Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions on 6 July 1951, and on 2 January 2015, the State of Palestine acceded to the Rome Statute, granting the International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). A 2017 report by Human Rights Watch accused the IDF of unlawful killings, using excessive force in policing situations, forced displacement, excessive use of detention and excessive restrictions on movement, as well as criticized the IDF's support and protection for Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. Human rights experts argue that actions taken by the IDF during armed conflicts in the OPT fall under the rubric of war crimes. Various UN special rapporteurs, alongside human rights and aid organizations including Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, Amnesty International, have accused Israel of war crimes, and since 2024, genocide.
Organization
All branches of the IDF answer to a single General Staff. The Chief of the General Staff is the only serving officer having the rank of Lieutenant General (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. The government can vote to extend their service to four, and on rare occasions even five years. The current chief of staff is Eyal Zamir.
=== Structure === The IDF includes the following bodies. Those whose respective heads are members of the General Staff are in bold:
==== Regional commands ==== Northern Command Central Command Southern Command Home Front Command
==== Arms ==== Ground Arm
Infantry Corps 1st "Golani" Brigade 35th "Paratroopers" Brigade 84th "Givati" Brigade 89th "Oz" Brigade 900th "Kfir" Brigade 933rd "Nahal" Brigade Armored Corps 7th "Saar me-Golan" Armored Brigade 188th "Barak" Armored Brigade 401st "Ikvot HaBarzel" Armored Brigade 460th "Bnei Or" Armored Brigade Artillery Corps Combat Engineering Corps Combat Intelligence Collection Corps Air and Space Arm
Air Force Air Defense Network Sea Arm
Israeli Navy
==== Administrative branches ==== General Staff
Planning Directorate Operations Directorate IDF Spokesperson The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies Intelligence Directorate Intelligence Corps Military Censor Depth Headquarters Manpower Directorate Military Police Corps Education and Youth Corps Adjutant Corps General Corps Military Rabbinate Women's Affairs advisor Manpower Planning and Administration brigade Individuals' Department Staff Department Chief Reserve Officer Military Courts / Tribunals Unit Military Court / Tribunal Military Advocate General Military Court of Appeals Computer Service Directorate Teleprocessing and Signal Corps Technological and Logistics Directorate Ordnance Corps Logistics Corps Medical Corps
==== Other bodies ==== Military:
Military Academies Tactical Command College Command and Staff College National Security College Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Financial Advisor to the Chief of Staff Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Civilian:
Director-general of the Ministry of Defense Defense Establishment Comptroller Unit Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry Engineering and Construction Department of the Ministry of Defense
Ranks, uniforms and insignia
Ranks
Unlike most militaries, the IDF uses the same rank names in all corps, including the air force and navy.
From the formation of the IDF until the late 1980s, sergeant major was a particularly important warrant officer rank, in line with usage in other armies. In the 1980s and 1990s the proliferating ranks of sergeant major became devalued, and now all professional non-commissioned officer ranks are a variation on sergeant major (rav samal) except for rav nagad. All translations here are the official translations of the IDF's website. Conscripts (Hogrim) (Conscript ranks may be gained purely on time served)
Private (Turai) Corporal (Rav Turai) (also called rabat) Sergeant (Samal) First Sergeant (Samal Rishon) Warrant Officers (Nagadim)
Sergeant First Class (Rav Samal) Master Sergeant (Rav Samal Rishon) Sergeant Major (Rav Samal Mitkadem) Warrant Officer (Rav Samal Bakhir) Master Warrant Officer (Rav Nagad Mishneh) Chief Warrant Officer (Rav Nagad) Academic officers (Ktzinim Akadema'im)
Professional Academic Officer (Katzin Miktzo'i Akadema'i) Senior Academic Officer (Katzin Akadema'i Bakhir) Officers (Ktzinim)
Second Lieutenant (Segen Mishneh) [1951–Present] Lieutenant (Segen) Captain (Seren) Major (Rav Seren) Lieutenant Colonel (Sgan Aluf) Colonel (Aluf Mishneh) [1950–Present] Brigadier General (Tat Aluf) [1968–Present] Major General (Aluf) [1948–Present] Lieutenant General (Rav Aluf)
Uniforms
The Israel Defense Forces has several types of uniforms:
Service dress (מדי אלף Madei Alef – Uniform "A") – the everyday uniform, worn by everybody. Field dress (מדי ב Madei Bet – Uniform "B") – worn into combat, training, work on base. The first two resemble each other but the Madei Alef is made of higher quality materials in a golden olive while the madei bet is in olive drab. The dress uniforms may also exhibit a surface shine
Officers / Ceremonial dress (מדי שרד madei srad) – worn by officers, or during special events/ceremonies. Dress uniform and mess dress – worn only abroad. Several dress uniforms are depending on the season and the branch. The service uniform for all ground forces personnel is olive green; navy and air force uniforms are beige/tan (also once worn by the ground forces). The uniforms consist of a two-pocket button up shirt, combat trousers, sweater, jacket or blouse, and shoes or boots. The navy also has an all-white dress uniform. The green fatigues are the same for winter and summer and heavy winter gear is issued as needed. Women's dress parallels the men's but may substitute a skirt for trousers and a blouse for a shirt. Headgear included a service cap for dress and semi-dress and a field cap or "Kova raful" bush hat worn with fatigues. Many IDF personnel once wore the tembel as a field hat. IDF personnel generally wear berets instead of the service cap and there are many beret colours issued to IDF personnel. Paratroopers are issued a maroon beret, Golani brown, Givati purple, Nahal lime green, Kfir camouflage, Combat Engineers grey, navy blue for IDF Naval and dark grey for IDF Air Force personnel. In combat uniforms, the Orlite helmet has replaced the British Brodie helmet Mark II/Mark III, RAC Mk II modified helmet with chin web jump harness (used by paratroopers and similar to the HSAT Mk II/Mk III paratrooper helmets), US M1 helmet, and French Modèle 1951 helmet – previously worn by Israeli infantry and airborne troops from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Some corps or units have small variations in their uniforms – for instance, military police wear a white stable belt and police hat, Naval personnel have dress whites for parades, paratroopers are issued a four pocket tunic (yarkit/yerkit) worn untucked with a pistol belt cinched tight around the waist over the shirt. The IDF Air Corps has a dress uniform consisting of a pale blue shirt with dark blue trousers. Most IDF soldiers are issued black leather combat boots, certain units issue reddish-brown leather boots for historical reasons — the paratroopers, combat medics, Nahal and Kfir Brigades, as well as some Special Forces units (Sayeret Matkal, Oketz, Duvdevan, Maglan, and the Counter-Terror School). Women were also formerly issued sandals, but this practice has ceased.
Insignia
IDF soldiers have three types of insignia (other than rank insignia) which identify their corps, specific unit, and position. A pin attached to the beret identifies a soldier's corps. Individual units are identified by a shoulder tag attached to the left shoulder strap. The position/job of a soldier can then be identified by an aiguillette attached to the left shoulder strap and shirt pocket, and a pin indicating the soldier's work type.
Service
Military service routes
The military service is held in three different tracks:
Regular service (שירות חובה): mandatory military service which is held according to the Israeli security service law. Permanent service (שירות קבע): military service which is held as part of a contractual agreement between the IDF and the permanent position-holder. Reserve service (שירות מילואים): a military service in which citizens are called for active duty of at most a month every year (in accordance with the Reserve Service Law), for training and ongoing military activities and especially to increase the military forces in case of a war. Sometimes the IDF would also hold pre-military courses (קורס קדם צבאי or קד"צ) for soon-to-be regular service soldiers.
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