The Israeli Army
Following the Israeli State’s ‘declaration of Independence ‘ and the subsequent departure of British Mandate forces , neighboring Arab countries launched an invasion, forcing Israel to defend itself . On the 28th May 1948 , the inaugural Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, announced the establishment of an Israeli military, to be called ‘ Israel Defense Forces ‘ ( IDF ) - The Israeli Army, whose first chief of staff was Jacob Dori
The IDF constitution’s main sections are ;
1) The IDF will be assembled from the 3 corps - Navy , Infantry and Air Forces
2) In a state of emergency , a general draft will be issued
3) Every person serving in the IDF must swear an Oath of Allegiance to the state of Israel, it’s constitution and authorities
4) Israel will not have any other armed force apart from the IDF
The procedure of the establishment of the IDF was initiated by the Defence Minister over a period of 7 months . Initially, the IDF was improvised, its manpower consisted of former ‘ underground ‘ resistance men with military background, plus drafted citizens. The equipment was simply whatever could be grabbed .
The IDF’s basic values are ;
1) The IDF has to protect the Israeli State , its civilians and residents - the IDF’s goal is to protect Israel’s existence, and the security of its civilians and residents .
2) Patriotism and loyalty to the State of Israel - At the basis of IDF service stands patriotism, commitment and devotion to Israel .
3) Dignity - The IDF and its soldiers are obliged to uphold human dignity regardless of race, religion, gender, creed, status and nationality
After bravely defending Israel in numerous defensive wars, in recent years the army’s main goal has been to fight and destroy terror and terrorists that will stoop below humanity to achieve despicable aims. The IDF has proved itself and is proving itself continuously in this ongoing mission.
