The Israel Defense Forces: structure, doctrine, and history
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is Israel's military, established on 26 May 1948, two weeks after independence. It is a unified force with three branches — ground, air, and naval — under a single chief of staff. Israel maintains mandatory military service (conscription) for most Jewish and Druze citizens. The IDF is one of the most battle-experienced militaries in the world and has been involved in every major Israeli conflict since 1948.