ABSTRACT
The effort to engage the IDF as the central carrier of statist pioneering could not, of course, overlook the field of education. Indeed, without widespread and dispersed educational activities both within and outside the framework of the IDF itself, it would have made no sense to turn the army into an agency with tasks extending beyond the field of direct security. Ben-Gurion’s guidelines left no doubt whatsoever about the role of the army in this regard: ‘Our army has a mission not only during times of war – but also, and perhaps especially, during times of peace. It must mould the character of our youth, and through them, the character of our people.’1
