Our Mission

Every ground, aerial and naval operational activity and exercise we conduct is first and foremost carried out for the sake of defending the State of Israel and its civilians.

We face terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, all of which pose a regional and international threat. We further leverage our capabilities to provide humanitarian aid to countries worldwide in times of crisis and develop groundbreaking technologies and tactics in the field of defense. We focus on maintaining the security of Israeli civilians every single day but our activities aim to contribute to the overall safety of civilians everywhere.

We believe that courage, loyalty and diversity, unified by the common goal of defense are essential to our mission. When combined, they create the unique strength that enables the IDF to thrive. People from every corner of Israel, every religion and every walk of life come together in order to serve in the IDF. Our soldiers invest their time, withstand challenges, and often risk their lives to protect the State of Israel from its enemies and ensure the safety of the people they love. 

We are the Israel Defense Forces. Defense is our mission—security is our goal.

The Spirit of the IDF

The Spirit of the IDF outlines our values and together with the practical rules derived from it constitutes our ethical code, guiding our soldiers and commanders in their day to day and operational activities.

Our 4 Fundamental Values

Defense of the State of Israel and its residents

The purpose of the IDF is to protect Israel and its independence and ensure the security of its residents.

Patriotism and loyalty to Israel:

patriotism and commitment and devotion to the State of Israel and its people are at the very core of service in the IDF.

Human Dignity

The IDF and our soldiers are obligated to protect human dignity. Every individual is of inherent value, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender or status.

Statehood

The IDF is the people’s army, the State of Israel’s military, subject to the law and government of the State of Israel. IDF soldiers will operate with their mission, the IDF’s values and the security of Israel as their priority. They will operate with integrity, practicality and presentably. 

There are ten additional values derived from these fundamental values: 

 Perseverance in the Mission and Pursuit of Victory
an IDF soldier will act and operate with courage in the face of every danger and challenge presented. The soldier will persevere in their mission with determination and wisdom, even if it means risking their life. 

 Responsibility
an IDF soldier will see themselves as an active partner in ensuring the security of the State of Israel and its residents. The soldier will show continuous involvement, initiative and diligence and operate within the framework of their authority, and will be willing to accept consequences for their actions if need be.

 Reliability and Trustworthiness
an IDF soldier will present things entirely and precisely as they are. They will do so throughout all stages of operation including planning, execution and reporting. The soldier will operate in a manner that will enable their commanders and fellow soldiers to trust them when completing tasks. 

 Personal Example
an IDF soldier will conduct themselves in the manner that is required of them and in the manner they expect their fellow soldiers to act. They will do so out of recognition of their ability and responsibility as an IDF soldier and outside of it, to be worthy role model to those around them.

 Human Life
an IDF soldier will recognize the critical importance of human life and behave in a safe and measured manner at all times. During combat, the soldier will put themselves and their fellow soldiers at risk only to the extent required to fulfill their mission. 

 Purity of Arms
An IDF soldier will only exercise their power or use their weapon in order to fulfill their mission and only when necessary. They will maintain their humanity during combat and routine times. The soldier will not use their weapon or power to harm uninvolved civilians and prisoners and will do everything in their power to prevent harm to their lives, bodies, dignity and property.

Professionalism
An IDF soldier will aspire to gain the professional knowledge, skills and expertise required to fulfill their position in the IDF. The soldier will implement these while engaging in their role to continuously improve their personal achievements and the achievements of their unit.

Discipline
An IDF soldier will operate to the best of their ability to fulfill what is required of them in a complete and successful manner and in accordance with the orders they were given and the values of the IDF. The soldier will ensure they are only giving out legal orders, and do not follow illegal orders.

 Camaraderie
An IDF soldier will operate out of commitment and devotion to their fellow soldiers. The soldier will always extend other servicemembers a helping hand when they are in need of assistance or dependent on it and they will do so despite any difficulty or risk. 

 A Sense of Mission
An IDF soldier will see their service as a vocation; they will be intent on contributing as much as possible to defend the State of Israel and its residents. They will do so as a representative of the IDF who is operating within the authority given to them according to IDF orders.