What to Know About the IDF

The Israel Defense Forces, which consists of an army, navy and air force, is Israel’s most-revered institution, according to polls. The military force, established in 1948 following Israel’s declaration of independence, exists “to preserve the state of Israel, to protect its independence, and to foil attempts by its enemies to disrupt the normal life within it,” according to the IDF’s website. **Does Israel have a draft?** Military service is compulsory at the age of 18 for most Israelis who are Jewish, Druze or Circassian.