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The IDF was founded May 26, 1948, weeks after Israeli independence. Predecessors: Hagana (mainstream defense), Etzel/Irgun, Lehi (smaller paramilitaries). Major wars: 1948 Independence, 1956 Sinai, 1967 Six-Day, 1973 Yom Kippur, 1982 Lebanon, 2006 2nd Lebanon, multiple Gaza operations. Each war re-shaped Israeli identity. Lesson 56 covered Israeli history broadly; this one is about the army specifically.
Cultural note, Israeli wars are remembered by year and casualty count: "67", Six-Day, "73", Yom Kippur, "82", Lebanon, "23-24", Iron Swords. Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) honors all fallen soldiers; one minute of silence brings the entire country to a standstill, cars stop on highways, buses pull over, every shop and café falls silent.
Pre-State Forces
Major Wars (chronological)
Defining Battles & Sites
Memorial & Commemoration
Famous Commanders
Yom HaZikaron Sirens: A Standard Year
A description of how Memorial Day works in Israel, eve at 8 PM, morning at 11 AM, full minute of silence, the whole country freezing in place. The defining annual ritual.
Bereaved Family Ceremony: Mount Herzl
A composite of phrases said at the official Yom HaZikaron ceremony at Mount Herzl military cemetery, where most fallen soldiers are buried.