ABSTRACT
On 26 May 1948, the Israeli provisional government approved the decision to establish a regular army. Five days later, on 31 May, an order signed by David Ben-Gurion, who served both as prime minister and as minister of defense, was issued establishing the Israel Defense Forces. The significance of this decision, which was taken during the first round of fighting with the Arab armies, and just two weeks after the establishment of the state of Israel, extended beyond the military sphere. The process of establishing the Israeli army during the course of the 1948 War became one of the main components in the consolidation of the authority and sovereignty of the new state, and in shaping its character.
