Israel Defense Forces Emblem

The Israel Defense Forces Emblem is the primary symbol representing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel Defense Forces Emblem

History

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The IDF emblem was adopted when the IDF was first established in 1948.[1][2] It was designed by Otte Wallish and Arieh El-Hanani, with El-Hanani's sword and branch design forming the basis from which Wallish worked to create the modern design.[3]

The center of the emblem contains a sword wrapped in an olive branch inside a Star of David, with a banner containing the words Israel Defense Forces underneath. The olive branch wrapped sword was the symbol of the Haganah, a pre-statehood paramilitary force and the IDF's primary predecessor organization. The sword in the emblem symbolizes combat, while the olive branch symbolizes the yearning for peace. The Star of David is a symbol of the Jewish tradition, and represents the Jewish people and their history.[4] Many of these elements reappear in other IDF symbols.[5]

In 1993, the IDF itself was renamed in its original Hebrew so that the grammar was more correct by adding the prefix "ha-" (ה, meaning "the") to the second word so that "Tzva Haganah leYisrael" became "Tzva Hahaganah leYisrael." It was not until 2022 that the IDF updated its emblem to acknowledge this change.[2][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Founding of the Israel Defense Forces". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  2. ^ a b Limor, Yoav (January 12, 2022). "IDF change to military insignia sparks controversy". www.israelhayom.com. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  3. ^ "סמל, צבא ההגנה לישראל | מרכז שנקר לתיעוד וחקר העיצוב בישראל". designarchive.shenkar.ac.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  4. ^ IDF Symbols at the IDF Personnel Directorate website. www.aka.idf.il.
  5. ^ Ruder, Zvi (1995-07-01). "Symbolism in the Israel Defense Forces: A Brief Overview". Raven: A Journal of Vexillology. 2: 41–64. doi:10.5840/raven199523.
  6. ^ "כך נראה הסמל הרשמי והעדכני של צה"ל שישמש את כולנו מהיום". www.idf.il (in Hebrew). 2022. Retrieved 2024-01-02.

Bibliology

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  • Furlan, M. (1986). Israel Defense Forces Insignia. Canada: Militaria House. p. 68. ISBN 978-0929757124.
  • Katz, Sam; Ronald Volstad (1988). Israeli Army since 1948. United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-85045-837-4.
  • Katz, Sam; Ronald Volstad (1986). Israeli Elite Units since 1973. United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-85045-687-5.
  • Fridman, A. (2010). Jewish Cap Badges: British/Palestine and Israel Defense Forces. Israel. p. 60.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Lubman, Roman; Shapiro Guy (2011). Israeli Defense Forces and Law Enforcement Hat Badges Catalog. Israel, Jerusalem. p. 92.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)