The 36th Armored Division, also known as the Ga'ash Formation ("Rage"), is the largest regular-service armored

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

in the Armored Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was subordinate to the Northern Regional Command until February 2014. The division was established in September 1954 and until 1958 was led by ''

Aluf ''Aluf'' ( he, אלוף, lit=champion or "First\leader of a group" in Biblical Hebrew; ) is a senior military rank in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for officers who in other countries would have the rank of general, air marshal, or admiral ...

Avraham Yoffe Avraham Yoffe ( he, אברהם יפה, born 25 October 1913, died 11 April 1983) was an Israel general during the Six-Day War. He later entered politics, and served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1974 and 1977. Biography Yoffe wa ...

. At the time, divisional commands were mission-based commands without organic forces, but rather with troops apportioned according to given missions. It was led by ''Aluf''

Zvi Zamir Zvi Zamir ( he, צבי זמיר) born Zvicka Zarzevsky (born 3 March 1925) is a former major general in the Israel Defense Forces and the director of the Mossad from 1968 to 1974. He is currently retired and lives in Israel. Early life Born ...

from 1958 until he was succeeded by ''Aluf''

Uzi Narkiss Uzi Narkiss ( he, עוזי נרקיס; January 6, 1925 – December 17, 1997) was an Israeli general. Narkiss was commander of the Israel Defense Forces units in the Central Region during the 1967 Six-Day War. Narkiss appears in the famous photog ...

in 1962, who led until 1965. In the years 1965–1969, it was led by ''Aluf''

Elad Peled Elad Peled ( he, אלעד פלד; (11 November 1927 - 26 July 2021) was an Israeli general. In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War he was a squad commander in the Yiftach Brigade. Peled commanded the 36th Division, which operated in the West Bank duri ...

. During the 1967

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Ju ...

, the division led the battles in the northern

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

, commanding the

Barak Armored Brigade The 188th "Barak" (Lightning) Armored Brigade is an Israeli armored brigade, subordinate to Israel's Northern Regional Command. The emblem of the Barak Armored Brigade is a red-bordered rhombus bearing a sword against a blue and white background ...

(then the 45th Armored Brigade), the 37th Brigade and forces from the 1st Brigade. Later, it oversaw the occupation of the southern

Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...

. After the war, from 1969 to 1972, the division was led by ''Aluf''

Shmuel Gonen Shmuel "Gorodish" Gonen ( he, שמואל גונן; 1930 – 30 September 1991) was an Israeli general and Chief of the Southern Command of the Israel Defense Forces during the Yom Kippur War. Early life Born in Vilna, Poland, Gonen immigrate ...

(Gorodish). From 1972 to 1974, it was led by then-''Aluf'' Rafael Eitan. During the

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by E ...

of October 1973, the division fought in the defensive battles over the northern Golan, and afterwards broke deeper into Syrian territory. During

Operation Litani The 1978 South Lebanon conflict (codenamed Operation Litani by Israel) began after Israel invaded southern Lebanon up to the Litani River in March 1978, in response to the Coastal Road massacre near Tel Aviv by Lebanon-based Palestinian mi ...

, Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1978, the division fought on the eastern front. During the 1982 Lebanon War, it fought on the central front, proceeding along the coastal route to

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

. The division was based on the Golan Heights until February 2014 and included the

7th Armoured Brigade 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

and 188th 'Barak' Armoured Brigade. As of July 2013, it is led by Brigadier-General Itzik Turjeman who replaced Brigadier-General Tamir Haiman.

Units

* 1st "Golani" Infantry Brigade * 6th Etzioni Brigade * 7th "Saar me-Golan/Storm from Golan" Armor Brigade * 188th "Barak/Lightning" Armor Brigade * 263rd "Merkavot ha-Esh/Chariots of Fire" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 282nd "Golan" Artillery Regiment ** 334th "Ra’am/Thunder" Artillery Battalion (

MLRS A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a voll ...

) ** 404th "Shafifon/

Viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

" (Reserve) Artillery Battalion (

M109A5 The M109 is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44. It has been upgraded a number of times, most recently to the M109A7. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect- ...

) ** 405th "Namer/Leopard" Artillery Battalion (

) ** 411th "Keren/Ray" Artillery Battalion (

) ** 611th "Eitam/Eagle" Target Acquisition Battalion * 389th "Sion" Signal Battalion

References

Northern Command (Israel) Divisions of Israel {{Israel-mil-stub