Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; Hebrew: צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל Tsva ha-Hagana le-Yisra'el; lit. 'The Army of Defense for Israel'), commonly referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), are the combined military forces of the State of Israel, consisting of three branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is the sole military wing within the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel. The IDF is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is subordinate to the Israeli Defense Minister. An order from David Ben-Gurion on 26 May 1948 officially set up the IDF as a conscript army formed from the ranks of the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi paramilitary organizations of the Yishuv. The IDF has participated in all of the armed conflicts involving Israel since its independence. According to the think-tank organization GlobalSecurity.org, the number of wars and border conflicts in which the IDF has been involved in throughout its short history makes it one of the most battle-trained armed forces in the world. While it originally operated on three fronts—against Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—the IDF has shifted its focus primarily to southern Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories since the signings of the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, with some incidents occurring across its border with Syria due to instability caused by the ongoing Syrian Civil War. The IDF is unique amongst the militaries of the world due to its regulated conscription of women since its formation. It is one of the most prominent institutions in Israeli society due to its influence on the country's economy, culture, and political sce

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