ABSTRACT
Since the War of Independence, the Israel Defence Forces have played a central role in the life of the State well beyond that which is most obviously and clearly signified by its designated name. The forces were established amidst the turmoil of war to defend and secure the physical survival of the State of Israel. More specifically, they were authorized to repel the invasion of the Arab armies, obtain as continuous and as large a territorial expanse as possible within the Land of Israel, and protect those borders. Clearly, these tasks are standard military requirements. Yet, from its earliest days, the IDF was involved, directly and indirectly, in the formation of the character and way of life of the society through the inclusion in its sphere of responsibility of civilian tasks in the areas of settlement, education, and immigrant absorption.
