IDF Blog | The Official Blog of the Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces Turns 64

idfspokesperson — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:20:15 +0000

On May 26, 1948, the Israeli government — then less than two weeks old — enacted an “Ordinance establishing a Defence Army of the State of Israel.” Signed by then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, the ordinance said that the Israel Defense Forces would be comprised of “land forces, a navy and an air force.”

The decision was officially put into effect on May 31, 1948. This date is the official founding date of the IDF and is celebrated each year. After the IDF was established, the underground organizations that operated during the British Mandate — the Palmach, Irgun and Lehi — were disbanded and merged into the IDF.

The first IDF chief of staff was Lt. Gen. Yaakov Dori. Since 1948, there have been a total of 20 IDF chiefs of staff. Today, the position is held by Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.

Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz is the 20th IDF Chief of Staff.

All IDF soldiers must hold themselves to the standards inscribed in the IDF Code of Conduct, or as it’s called in Hebrew, Ruach Tzahal, The Spirit of the IDF. The tiny pamphlet is kept in every soldier’s pocket at all times.

During basic training, all IDF soldiers read and discuss the Spirit of the IDF with their commanders. It is customary for a framed copy of the Spirit of the IDF to be hung in every IDF office as a constant reminder of the IDF’s values and guidelines.

Card-sized copy of the "Spirit of the IDF"

64 years after its establishment in 1948, the Israel Defense Forces remains ready to defend the country against all threats to the safety of its citizens.

Retired American Generals and Admirals Visit Israel

idfspokesperson — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:42:32 +0000

A delegation of retired American generals and admirals visited Israel this month in order to meet with senior political and military officials, understand the security challenges that Israel faces and learn more about the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance.

The delegation was organized by JINSA, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. The retired U.S. officers visited all of Israel’s borders and were briefed by senior IDF commanders on all fronts.

Here are a few photos from their trip:

Lt. Tiran, commander of the anti-guerilla warfare unit in the Northern Command, briefs the JINSA delegation on Hezbollah in Lebanon

Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon, commander of the IDF Northern Division, briefs the delegation on lessons learned from the Second Lebanon War and how the IDF is staying ready

The commander of the IDF Galilee Division discusses his day-to-day responsibilities in the region

The retired American generals and admirals stood at all of Israel's borders in order to better understand the security challenges that the IDF faces every day

The JINSA delegation stands for a group photo on an IDF ship

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz (front row, center) takes a group photo with the retired U.S. generals and admirals after hosting a meeting with them

COMEDS: NATO Medical Officers in Israel

idfspokesperson — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:51:23 +0000

During the past week, scores of medical officers from various countries visited Israel for the annual COMEDS conference–Committee of the Medical Chief of Military Medical Services.

For the first time ever, the conference was held in Israel

Medical officers from all NATO countries attended the conference, headed by the IDF, to discuss issues of military medical care, humanitarian aid and operations in disaster-struck countries.

Today the participants gathered in the Soroka hospital in Be’er Sheva, where they witness a large-scale exercise held by the IDF Home Front Command and the Medical Corps.

COMEDS participants witnessed a large-scale exercise at the Soroka hospital today. IDF representative (left) with NATO medical officers.

If you found this post interesting, check out more about the IDF’s medical exercises, or visit our official website. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.

Guest Post: 4 Simple Tips for New Recruits

idfspokesperson — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:11:28 +0000

My name is Ben. I’m a new immigrant from the United States, and it was always my dream to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. I’m proud to say that I just finished basic training.

My first day in the IDF was long and tiring. I spent hours in a base known as the Bakum, which is where all new IDF recruits are sent on their first day. I went through a few medical tests, signed a lot of papers and received uniforms and equipment.

New IDF soldiers arrange themselves for their first line-up. The sign reads "Welcome, Kfir Brigade."

As soon as I had gone through all the stations, I boarded a bus and headed directly to my basic training base. I knew that it was going to be a tough experience, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for everything to come.

I should emphasize that I went through basic training for non-combat soldiers, which only lasts one month and is different from the training the combat soldiers must endure. Nonetheless, I can offer some simple advice that I think any new IDF soldiers could use.

Here are four simple tips:

Keep a low profile
Don’t talk back to your commanders! The people who suffered the most in basic training were those who misbehaved. Keep a low profile. Only speak when you’re given permission. And never be late!
Bring snacks
While the army will provide you with three meals per day — as well as occasional snacks of bread and chocolate spread — let’s just say that the food won’t taste like mom’s home cooking. Pack energy bars, nuts, chocolate, etc. — you’ll be able to eat it during brief breaks throughout the day.

A new IDF recruit puts on his military boots for the first time.

Prepare mentally
The transition from civilian life to army life — going from complete freedom to no freedom — is a dramatic change. You no longer get to decide what time to wake up, what to eat or when to go to sleep. It takes time to get used to this. The loss of control over your daily routine is the hardest part of the experience, but in the end it’s what makes you the best soldier you can be. Prepare yourself mentally in advance, and you will be fine.
Use Your Phone Wisely
Do you check Facebook around the clock? Then you’ll hate to learn that you can’t use your phone during basic training except during specific times. In fact, you only have a total of one hour per night when you can charge your phone. This hour also includes time for showering, brushing your teeth and getting ready for bed. That’s why you’ll need a good phone strategy. Mine was to go to the synagogue every day — I charged my phone while praying.

New IDF recruits in the Givati Brigade line up in front of their commander for the first time.

What are your tips?

Overall, basic training is an incredible experience — one that you will remember for the rest of your life. If you have any basic training survival tricks, feel free to share them in the comments.

If you found this post interesting, check out more about recruiting to the IDF, or visit our official site. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.

Infographic: Last Week, 31,736 Tons of Goods and Gas Entered Gaza

idfspokesperson — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:31:38 +0000

Last week, from May 13-19, the IDF coordinated the transfer of 1,147 trucks with 31,736 tons of goods and gas into the Gaza Strip.

If you found this post interesting, check out more about what’s happening in Gaza, or visit our official site. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.

IDF Chief of Staff Visits China

idfspokesperson — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:12:54 +0000

This morning, the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, commenced his official visit to china with a work meeting with the Chief of the Chinese General Staff, General Chen Bindnge.

: IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, with the Chief of the Chinese General Staff, General Chen Bindnge

General Bindnge thanked Lt. Gen. Gantz for his previous visit to Israel, which he said left an impression of a strong and deeply patriotic army.General Bindnge also welcomed the improving cooperation between the IDF and the Chinese military. Lt. Gen. Gantz thanked his counterpart for the invitation while presenting a strategic overview of regional threats to a panel of senior Chinese officers. Lt. Gen. Gantz expressed his appreciation for Chinese influence in the region.

Both Chiefs of Staff expressed their satisfaction with the cooperation between the armies and noted their commitment to continue to develop this relationship. Lt. Gen. Gantz also mentioned the visits of senior officers, as well as joint courses that are scheduled to take place.

If you found this post interesting, check out more about the Chief of Staff’s visit to China, or visit our official site. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.

Unit Spotlight: The Elite 669 Search and Rescue Unit

idfspokesperson — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:48:02 +0000

The Israel Air Force’s elite 669 Search and Rescue Unit is responsible for IDF aerial medevac operations. Check out the infographic below to learn more about this unit.

If you found this post interesting, check out more about IDF units, or visit our official site. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.

Photojournalism: What’s Behind the Image?

idfspokesperson — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:49:45 +0000

Ever wondered what the real story is behind the news photos you see every day? Sometimes photojournalists capture a tense moment with perfect timing, but other times the action is staged.

That’s what Italian photojournalist Ruben Salvadori realized when he was covering Palestinian protests in Judea and Samaria.

Photographers wait for the right moment to snap a photo.

“Sometimes the situation is tense and dangerous,” Salvadori said, “but many other times, the riots are nothing more than groups of young Palestinian kids who with their face covered, who throw rocks and disperse, after the first tear gas is shot or go home if no soldier comes.”

Every Friday, he said, he would go to a protests with his gas mask, helmet and camera.

“Soon I realized that what really interested me wasn’t the Palestinian throwing a rock or the soldier shooting tear gas or grenades, which are over-seen, but an element that often we do not see, and that is kept out of the frame: the photographer.”

Watch what he discovered:

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For the First Time Ever, COMEDS Conference to Be Held in Israel

idfspokesperson — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:11:33 +0000

As part of the NATO Committee of the Medical Chief of Military Medical Services (COMEDS), the IDF Medical Corps will host Surgeon Generals and senior medical officers from NATO member countries between May 21^st and May 25^th.

COMEDS is chaired by Brigadier General Dr. Rob Van Der Meer from the Netherlands. COMEDS promotes international cooperation between NATO member countries and partners in the fields of military medicine, disaster medicine and humanitarian medicine. This is the first time in which the conference is being held in a non-NATO member country outside Europe – an event which has an eminent value in the international aspect.

The conference will include lectures, discussions, a variety of panels and a display of Israel’s capabilities to aid in international disasters and humanitarian crises. In addition, participants will observe a large-scale Home Front Command & Medical Corps exercise in the Sorokah Hospital in Beersheba which will display Israeli capabilities to contend with home front emergencies. The exercise will simulate a non-conventional missile landing in Israel.

The conference will be concluded at a gala event to be held in Tel Aviv. The NATO generals and their spouses, the IDF Chief of the Technology and Logistics Branch, Major General Kobi Barak, and the IDF Surgeon General, Brigadier General Dr. Yitshak Kreiss, as well as other senior officers, will participate in the event as well.

How We Prepare Our Soldiers: The IDF’s Most Difficult Fitness Test

idfspokesperson — Sun, 20 May 2012 15:28:55 +0000

The IDF’s elite soldiers spend many months in training before they are ready for combat. They must learn sharpshooting, urban warfare tactics, fitness, mental composure in the field and more.

To fulfill this goal, dozens of combat soldiers and officers gathered last week for a fitness instructor course. The purpose of the course was to ensure that IDF fitness instructors can hold themselves to the highest physical and mental standards that the IDF expects from exceptional combat soldiers.

Only hours into the course, the soldiers were sent into the sea on an exercise simulating the rescue of a soldier from water. By week two, the soldiers started to train others, study physiology lessons and participate in a physiotherapy workshop. Small details were important: The soldiers learned how to select the best sports shoes for different physical activities.

After many days of hard work, the soldiers arrived at the course’s final phase. It is the IDF’s most exhausting physical exam — the dune, or as course veterans call it, “the natural disaster”. In the background, course instructors played a dubstep rhythm and sent the soldiers up the dune. There was no time for anybody to complain that they were already exhausted from a 10 km jog on the beach.

Once the soldiers reached the top of the dune — much harder than it looks from afar — they realized that they were not done. Waiting for them was yet another obstacle route composed of ladders, climbing walls and endless stretches of sand to crawl in.

Finally, the soldiers got to rest. Proud graduates of the fitness instructors course, they will return to their original bases and instruct new recruits how to get in the best shape of their lives.

If you found this post interesting, check out more about IDF and the media, or visit our official site. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.