Page 143 - Airpower in 20th Century - Doctrines and Employment

Israele

JosePH abboudi
* 1
The Military Doctrine of the Israeli Air Force

Introduction
he State of Israel was pro-
claimed on the 14 of May
th
T1948 and was immediately at-
tacked by seven Arab countries, whose
armies invaded the country in an ef-
fort to nullify the November 29 1947
th
United Nations resolution partitioning
Palestine, a decision that all the Arab
countries did not accept. Even prior to
this, immediately after the United Na-
tions vote in 1947, hostile incidents
and violence on a warlike scale broke
out between the local Arabs and the
Jews, with the Arabs receiving heavy
aid and support from the surround-
ing Arab countries, and following the
Declaration of Independence on 14
May 1948, these countries invaded
and attacked Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
was set up in the course of this war, a
mere two weeks following the State’s Israel was attacked by five Arab countries
one day after the Declaration of
establishment, to defend its independ- Independence, on May 15 , 1948.
th
ence. The IDF initially consisted of
the ground forces, navy and air forc-
es, - namely the IAF. The Israel Air Force (IAF) is made up of overseas volunteers
(Mahal) who comprise 90% of the pilots and navigators, most with combat experi-
ence in World War II. They previously flew fighters, bombers and transport planes
and are radio-operators. The veteran pilots had trained new Israeli pilots. The IAF
ground forces comprise many Israelis, quickly trained in technical skills needed to
support the aircraft.

* The author served as the head of the Historian branch of the Israeli Air Force from 1967 to 1984.