LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Israel Defense Forces
built 654 days ago
The Israel Defense Forces are the state of Israel’s military force. The IDF is subordinate to the directions of the democratic civilian authorities and the laws of the state. The goal of the IDF is to protect the existence of the State of Israel and her independence, and to thwart all enemy efforts to disrupt the normal way of life in Israel. IDF soldiers are obligated to fight, to dedicate all their strength and even sacrifice their lives in order to protect the State of Israel, her citizens and residents. IDF soldiers will operate according to the IDF values and orders, while adhering to the laws of the state and norms of human dignity, and honoring the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state
Source:
The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) is the American partner of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers, established by David Ben-Gurion in 1942. The FIDF initiates and helps support social, educational, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland. The FIDF ... provides support for widows and orphans of fallen soldiers. Today's support includes building, maintaining, and operating 17 modern and sophisticated facilities; establishing and renovating hundreds of clubrooms and fitness rooms on IDF bases; and the constant caring for each and every IDF soldier.
Source:
May 14th, "the Israel Defense Forces launched a mass demolition of buildings" in the Rafah refugee camp leaving over 1,000 homeless. According to a UN report from before these demolitions, "Since Oct.1, 2000, 2,018 houses were destroyed or damaged beyond repair in the Gaza Strip, making 18,382 people homeless. Of those, more than half were in the Rafah camp, where 1,309 houses were razed or irreparably damaged, and 12,600 people made homeless." Amnesty International has released a new report condemning the collective punishment of Palestinians as a war crime and the European Union has called for an immediate stop to the Rafah demolitions. Despite the increased worldwide condemnation of what many see as ethnic cleansing, Israel announced on May 16th that it plans to "step up demolitions".
Source:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has abandoned plans to move ground troops north to the Litani River, the Jerusalem Post reported Aug. 6, citing a high-ranking source in the Israeli Northern Command. The source said reaching the Litani would take several days and require first clearing out a security zone in southern Lebanon and calling up an an entirely new division. IDF reportedly has eight brigades, each made up of 10,000 troops, operating in Lebanon
Source:
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is generally regarded by military experts as one of the finest armed forces in the world. IDF doctrine has been shaped since Israel's founding by the country's need to stave off attack from the numerically superior and geographically advantaged forces of its hostile Arab neighbours. This doctrine encompasses the IDF's belief that Israel cannot afford to lose a single war, a goal that it feels can be attained only through a defensive strategy that includes a peerless intelligence community and early warning systems and a well-trained, rapidly mobilized reserve component combined with a strategic capability that consists of a small, highly trained, active-duty force that is able to take the war to the enemy, quickly attain military objectives, and rapidly reduce hostile forces.
Source:
In 1988, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London estimated the strength of the ground forces at 104,000 troops, including 16,000 career soldiers and 88,000 conscripts. An additional 494,000 men and women were regularly trained reserves who could be mobilized within seventy-two hours. According to The Military Balance, in 1997-1998 there were 175,000 soldiers in the regular Israeli army (conscripts and career soldiers) and 430,000 in the reserves. These reserve forces consisted of 365,000 in land forces, 10,000 in the navy and 55,000 in the air force. As of 1999 Jane's estimated the active duty strength at 136,000 troops. In 2004, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the strength of the ground forces at 125,000 troops, including 40,000 career soldiers and 85,000 conscripts, with an additional 600,000 men and women in the reserves.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Israel Defense Forces