70 Years of Defending Israel
On May 1948, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially began acting as Israel’s military organization, rather than the assortment of separate groups that had preceded it. Led by the first Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Yaakov Dori, the IDF took on the role of the official defender of the State of Israel and its citizens.
07.05.18
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Since its founding, the IDF has fought in seven wars, sent humanitarian delegations to more than 25 countries around the world, began a large effort to help Syrians in need, and created revolutionary technology.
The Givati Brigade participating in a parade. Pictured from right to left: IDF Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Yaakov Dori, Ben-Gurion, Major General Yigael Yadin, and Major General Yigal Allon - 1948
Photographer: Fred Chesnick, Courtesy of the IDF Archive of the Ministry of Defense
The War of Independence:
The IDF was established at a time when the entire country was at war for its very survival. The IDF drew its forces and weapons from the various Jewish paramilitary organizations that were active prior to the founding of the state, and began as a hastily cobbled together, ill-equipped army. By the end of the 1948 War of Independence, the IDF had defeated five invading Arab armies and became what it is today.
The Six Day War:
In 1967, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, who signed a mutual defense agreement, were preparing to invade Israel. Following the closing of the Straits of Tiran, which was considered an act of war, the Israel Air Force carried out surprise airstrikes against Egypt’s airfields on June 5, which marked the beginning of the Six Day War.
The Yom Kippur War:
In 1973, a coalition of Arab states, led by Egypt and Syria, attacked Israel and sparked the Yom Kippur War. Thinking that the IDF would not be able to defend Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish year, the Arab states coordinated a surprise attack on Saturday, October 6, 1973, which was Yom Kippur. The war ended 18 days later, on October 24, 1973, when a ceasefire was declared. This was the third time the IDF had to defend the existence of the State of Israel since its founding less than 30 years prior.
The First Lebanon War:
On June 6, 1982 Israel launched the First Lebanon War after a terrorist cell attempted to assassinate the Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The objective of the war was to put communities in northern Israel out of reach of the terrorists in southern Lebanon by pushing the latter 24 miles north. The war lasted more than three months until Israeli forces reached Beirut. The end of the war was marked by prisoner exchanges.
The Second Lebanon War:
In the Second Lebanon War (July 12 - August 14, 2006) the IDF fought against Hezbollah, a terrorist organization that is responsible for numerous terror attacks around the globe. The objectives of the war were to stop Hezbollah rocket fire towards communities in northern Israel and to release the two Israeli soldiers that Hezbollah had kidnapped on July 12, 2006. On August 14, 2006, the IDF stopped its offensive effort in Lebanon by order of the Israeli government, following the UN Security Council’s vote to enact Resolution 1701.
IDF Humanitarian Missions and Operation Good Neighbor:
Through the years the IDF has sent more than 25 humanitarian delegations around the globe to help with disaster relief. However, the IDF has not forgotten about Israel’s neighbors in need. In 2016, the IDF officially established Operation Good Neighbor, which aims at providing Syrians in need with medical care. While the IDF’s efforts began before Operation Good Neighbor was officially established, the amount of care and services provided have only grown since.
An IDF officer holding a Syrian
These missions, whether abroad or on Israel’s northern border, have provided thousands of people with the medical care and supplies that they needed. In addition to the professional medical staff, Israel’s humanitarian aid missions included professional search and rescue workers who were able to help find people and save lives.
A Syrian patient being taken into an ambulance to receive medical treatment as a part of Operation Good Neighbor
They call Israel the “Start-up Nation” and in that spirit, the IDF has made major technological advancements that have improved the way the IDF defends the State of Israel and its citizens.
In 2017 alone, the IDF created VR glasses that allow soldiers to learn about several different types of ammunition in a visual and accessible way, UAVs with night vision, new armored personnel carriers, digital programs that pack and fold parachutes, and new unmanned ground vehicles.
A soldier using virtual reality goggles to learn about different types of ammunition
