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Israel Defense Forces

National military of the State of Israel

Israel Defense Forces
Editorial visualNational military of the State of Israel

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF, Hebrew acronym Tzahal) is the national military of the State of Israel, formed in 1948. It comprises ground, air and naval branches and operates as a conscript force under civilian government control.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) — Hebrew acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), from Tzva HaHagana LeYisrael, "the Army of Defense for Israel" — is the national military of the State of Israel. It was established on 26 May 1948 by order of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who unified the pre-state Jewish paramilitary organizations of the Yishuv, chiefly the Haganah, into a single conscript army.

The IDF consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is one of the few militaries to conscript both men and women, with regular service typically lasting roughly two to three years; it is backed by a large reserve force. Operational command runs through the Chief of the General Staff (Ramatkal), who is subordinate to the Defense Minister and the elected government. As of 2026, the post is held by Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who took office on 5 March 2025.

Reference

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