Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the Israel Defense Forces, the combined military forces of Israel.
IDF
The Latest
-
Breaking News Attempts To Abduct Israeli Soldiers Rise Sharply
There has been a significant increase in attempts to abduct soldiers in recent months, a source in the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday. This has prompted the army to strictly enforce safety measures and remind soldiers of directives intended to prevent such incidents, he said. Since the beginning of the year, the IDF has…
-
Breaking News Israeli Army Apologizes for Book Saying Non-Jews Aren’t Equal to Jews
The Israel Defense Forces has apologized for publishing a book of religious regulations that states non-Jews do not have equal rights in Israel. The IDF issued the apology on Thursday in a letter to MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), and said it had halted distribution of the book, which claims that “the concept that non-Jews and…
-
Opinion Lord of the Land: Israel’s New Jewish Identity Czar
Israel’s ministry of religious services, headed by economics minister Naftali Bennett of the Jewish Home party, has created a new Jewish Identity Administration in an “effort to increase national awareness of Jewish identity,” says a report in Yeshiva World News. Haaretz says its job is to “instill Jewish values” in the general public. The administration…
-
Breaking News IDF Stung by Billion Dollar Budget Cuts, But Bonus Looms on Horizon
It’s best to take with a grain of salt the complaints that will be voiced in the near future by the General Staff about the implications of the cuts included in the state budget passed this week. True, in the years ahead, the Israel Defense Forces will be required to dismiss 4,000 career soldiers (while…
-
Life Happy Mother’s Day To My Israeli Mom
Dear Mom, I will never forget the day I joined the Israel Defense Forces. It was five years ago, and I remember 18-year-old me, kissing you and Dad goodbye and boarding the bus that would take me to a month-long boot camp. You hugged me close and shed a tear, and I remember thinking you…
-
Breaking News Israel To Stop Using White Phosphorous in Battle
Israel said on Friday it was phasing out white phosphorus smokescreen munitions whose use during its 2008-2009 offensive in the heavily populated Gaza Strip drew war crimes allegations. Announcing the plan, the Israeli military did not say whether it would also review its use of weaponised white phosphorus, which is designed to incinerate enemy positions….
-
Opinion Yesh Atid’s Ofer Shelah on War, Grief and Promise
It’s been a while since I’ve had the weekly privilege of translating and editing Ofer Shelah. Some years back he was the Forward’s Israeli commentator as well as a military and sports correspondent for Maariv. Now he’s Yesh Atid’s Knesset faction chairman. Today, marking Soldiers’ Memorial Day in Israel, he posted these thoughts on his…
-
Israel News 92Y Scraps Appearance by Roger Waters, Anti-Israel Pink Floyd Frontman
A Manhattan cultural center has canceled an event with rock star — and outspoken Israel critic — Roger Waters. Waters was due to speak about his 45-year career as a solo musician and a key member of the British rock group Pink Floyd at 92Y on April 30. But “An Evening with Roger Waters” —…
Most Popular
- 1
Culture Why saying ‘L’shana Tova’ on Rosh Hashanah may not be the correct phrase
- 2
Fast Forward Was the viral Ta-Nehisi Coates interview a hit piece or fair play? A journalism ethics expert weighs in.
- 3
Culture How my odious cousin Roy Cohn was responsible for creating Donald Trump — and me
- 4
Opinion This is the most disorienting Rosh Hashanah in memory
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture New conspiracy theory just dropped — Jews are causing the hurricanes
-
Opinion Allies at odds, Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron have more in common than they’d like to admit
-
Art What if there was a flag that both Israelis and Palestinians could take pride in flying?
-
Forverts in English Workers Circle now offers Yiddish courses that meet twice a week
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism