The document provides information about the mission, doctrine, and code of conduct of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It discusses that the IDF was established in 1948 following Israel's establishment. The IDF's mission is to defend Israel's existence, territory, and sovereignty, and protect its citizens. The main doctrine principles include that Israel cannot afford to lose wars, having a deterrent posture and combating terrorism. The code of conduct outlines the IDF's core values of defending the state, love of the homeland, and human dignity.
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• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are the overall unified armed forces
of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy
• The IDF is a battle hardened force which has fought all of the
country's military operations
• The IDF was founded following the establishment of the State of
Israel, after Defence Minister and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
issued an order on May 26, 1948. The order called for the
establishment of the Israel Defence Forces, and the abolishment of
all other Jewish armed forces and underground forces
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The IDF mission is to "defend the existence, territorial
integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel. To
protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all
forms of terrorism which threaten the daily life."
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• The main doctrine consists of the following principles:
• Israel cannot afford to lose a single war
• Defensive on the strategic level, no territorial ambitions
• Desire to avoid war by political means and a credible
deterrent posture
• Preventing escalation
• Determine the outcome of war quickly and decisively
• Combating terrorism
• Very low casualty ratio
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• Prepare for Defence :
• Since, they cannot afford to lose a single war, so they need to
have a pro active strategy
• A small standing army with an early warning capability, regular
air force and navy
• An efficient reserve mobilization and transportation system
• Move to Counterattack:
• Transferring the battle to enemy territory quickly
• Quick attainment of war objectives
• Multi-arm coordination
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• Low-intensity Warfare. Owing to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, the IDF has adapted tactics for low intensity warfare,
primarily directed against Palestinian fighters operating from within
densely-populated civilian territory
• Targeted Killings. The IDF employs a strategy of "focused foiling" of
Palestinian fighters, often referred to as "targeted killing". The
strategy aims at preventing future acts of terrorism by killing
individuals known to have participated or assisted in acts such as
suicide bombings who are planning repeat attacks
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• House Demolitions. As part of the 2nd Intifada, the IDF adopted a
policy of house demolition in response to a wave of suicide
bombings. Israel justified the policy on the basis of deterrence
against terrorism, and providing an incentive for families of
potential suicide bombers to prevent the bomber from attacking.
Demolitions can also occur in the course of fighting. The IDF started
employing a tactic of surrounding such houses, calling on the
occupants (civilian and militant) to exit, and demolishing the house
on top of the militants that do not surrender. This tactic, called
"Pressure Pot" and is now used whenever feasible
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• In 1992, the IDF drafted a ‘Code of Conduct’ that combines
international law, Israeli law, Jewish heritage and the IDF's own
traditional ethical code—the IDF Spirit. The document of Code of
Conduct defines three core values for all IDF soldiers to follow, as
well as ten secondary values
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• Defence of the State, its Citizens and its Residents ."The IDF's goal is
to defend the existence of the State of Israel, its independence and
the security of the citizens and residents of the state."
• Love of the Homeland and Loyalty to the Country. "At the core of
service in the IDF stand the love of the homeland and the
commitment and devotion to the State of Israel-a democratic state
that serves as a national home for the Jewish People-its citizens
and residents."
• Human Dignity. "The IDF and its soldiers are obligated to protect
human dignity. Every human being is of value regardless of his or
her origin, religion, nationality, gender, status or position."
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• They will persevere in their missions resolutely and thoughtfully
even to the point of endangering their lives
• They will carry out their duties at all times with initiative,
involvement and diligence with common sense and within the
framework of their authority, while prepared to bear responsibility
for their conduct
• They will act in such a manner that their peers and commanders
can rely upon them in performing their tasks
• The soldier shall make use of his weaponry and power only for the
fulfilment of the mission and solely to the extent required; he will
maintain his humanity even in combat
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• The IDF servicemen and women will acquire the professional
knowledge and skills required to perform their tasks, and will
implement them while striving continuously to perfect their personal
and collective achievements
• IDF soldiers will be meticulous in giving only lawful orders, and shall
refrain from obeying blatantly illegal orders
• The IDF servicemen and women will act out of fraternity and
devotion to their comrades
• The IDF soldiers view their service in the IDF as a mission; they will
be ready to give their all in order to defend the state, its citizens
and residents