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The Military Police Corps of the Israel Defense Forces ( he, חֵיל הַמִּשְׁטָרָה הַצְּבָאִית, ''Chayal HaMishtara HaTzva'it'' (shortened to ''Mishtara Tzvait''), commonly called "Mem Tzadik" or "Mem Tzadi", is the
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i military police and provost. The military police serves the Manpower Directorate during peacetime, and the
Technological and Logistics Directorate The Israeli Technological and Logistics Directorate (acronym: Atal) is a directorate in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, responsible for its logistics responses and tasks, and in particular: the building of military bases, maintaini ...
during war. The military police is a brigade-sized of about 4,500, currently headed by Brigadier General Avichai Maibar. It is responsible for various law enforcement duties, including aiding IDF commanders in enforcing discipline, security of all military instillations, guarding the military prisons, locating
deserter Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...
s, investigating crimes committed by soldiers, and helping man the Israel Defense Forces checkpoints The corps puts an emphasis on discipline and follows the principle of ''A Choice in Life'', which says no to traffic accidents, narcotics, alcohol, suicide and improper use of weapons.


History


Founding and initial organization

The IDF's Military Police Corps traces its roots to a Jewish youth paramilitary organization called '' Notrim'', founded in 1936. It was legal under British Mandate law, unlike its many counterparts such as the Haganah. Its original purpose was to defend and police Jewish yishuv localities during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. In 1937, the organization was given permission to expand, due to lack of British manpower allocated for defending Jewish villages in Palestine. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the ''Notrim'' became part of the
Jewish Brigade The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group, more commonly known as the Jewish Brigade Group or Jewish Brigade, was a military formation of the British Army in the World War II, Second World War. It was formed in late 1944 and was recruited among Yishuv, Y ...
, where it grew and became more known among the Palestinian Jewish public. Many new recruits joined the organization, where they went through a filtering process where it was decided what unit they were to be placed in. In 1944, an order was given by the Haganah to create its own military police in the Jewish Brigade, and the task was given to a captain therein, named Daniel Lifshitz (later Danny Magen). Lifshitz and three sergeants from the brigade who served at a base near
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, were the initial nucleus of the organization, and recruited soldiers mainly from within the brigade itself. During Israel's fight for independence between 1945 and 47, the Jewish leadership created the Military Police out of the organization, which became a small contingent of four units (Disciplinary Military Police, Traffic Supervision Military Police, Investigations Military Police, and the Prison Division), each proficient in its respective field. Originally, this force consisted of only 160 soldiers and officers, personally picked by the first commander, Danny Magen. The force officially gained recognition in March–May 1948 as a result of the Riptin Commission and after the IDF formulated its disciplinary laws, and quickly expanded as the necessities of a military police service were made clear in the IDF. Originally, the traffic supervision units were organized into regions, serving in the most populated cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa), while the discipline supervision units were subordinate to the various IDF brigades, with each brigade having its own small unit. The headquarters and training base for the corps were set up in the Kiryat Meir base in Tel Aviv, then part of HaKirya compound. The first military police course took place during Israel's founding, including about 150 recruits and ending on June 2, 1948, immediately joined the effort to fight the invading Arab forces. The first course for women ended on August 20, 1948. On October 13, 1949, the name of the military police was changed from Military Police Service (''Sherut Mishtara Tzva'it'') to Military Police Corps (''Heil HaMishtara HaTzva'it''). The first permanent headquarters were created on the ruins of the Arab village
al-Shaykh Muwannis Al-Shaykh Muwannis ( ar, الشيخ مونّس), also Sheikh Munis, was a small Palestinian Arab village in the Jaffa Subdistrict of Mandatory Palestine, located approximately 8.5 kilometers from the center of Jaffa city in territory earmarked ...
, today in Ramat Aviv (northern Tel Aviv), and the MP training base was also moved there. A dog handler unit was founded in 1949 in the corps, consisting of about 50 soldiers and several hundred dogs. Its case was located in
Kiryat Haim Kiryat Haim ( he, קריית חיים  , ar, كريات حاييم) is a neighborhood of Haifa, Israel. It is considered part of the Krayot cluster in the northern part of metropolitan Haifa. In 2008, Kiryat Haim had a population of just un ...
. The unit trained dogs to guard, assault, detect explosives and injured/dead bodies. Despite its many successes, it was disbanded on February 15, 1954, due to a lack of funding. Today, a similar unit is operated by the
Israel Border Police The Israel Border Police ( he, מִשְׁמַר הַגְּבוּל, Mišmar Ha-Gvul) is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (), meaning border g ...
.


World War II

The pre-IDF military police force in the
Jewish Brigade The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group, more commonly known as the Jewish Brigade Group or Jewish Brigade, was a military formation of the British Army in the World War II, Second World War. It was formed in late 1944 and was recruited among Yishuv, Y ...
operated on the Italian front between March 3 and April 25, 1945, when the brigade was stationed there. They were trained at a British police academy in the conquered territory near
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, where they studied military law enforcement and motorcycle riding. The unit was responsible for placing road signs and doing regular police patrols. By the end of the war, the force consisted of 39 soldiers, excluding the commander, Danny Magen. The force also aided Holocaust survivors in the liberated
Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as con ...
. A police force with the Star of David as part of its insignia increased the hope and motivation of the survivors. In addition, it participated in the interrogations of Gestapo members and Nazi war criminals.


1948 Arab–Israeli War

In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the military police took both combat and supporting positions. In May 1948, the service was divided into regional fronts. The northern front, headed by future chief officer Yosef Pressman, consisted of 15 military policemen, most of them former '' Notrim'', and was based in the police compound in
Afula Afula ( he, עפולה Arabic: العفولة) is a city in the Northern District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" due to its strategic location in the Jezreel Valley. As of , the city had a population of . Afula's ancient ...
. It moved to Nazareth when the city was conquered from Arab forces. Among others, the northern front's job was to deliver the '' Napoleonchik'' cannons, which turned the tide of several battles on the front. During Operation Brosh, a military police soldier managed to shoot down a Syrian plane using a Sten gun mounted on a jeep. The plane crashed near Ayelet HaShahar. The unit was also charged with stopping panicked Jewish residents of the Galilee from fleeing their homes, and Pressman personally stopped buses leaving Afula and
Yavne'el Yavne'el ( he, יַבְנְאֵל, ar, يفنيئيل) is a moshava and local council in the Northern District of Israel. Founded in 1901, it is one of the oldest rural Jewish communities in the country. According to the Israel Central Bureau o ...
, returning the men and evacuating the women and children to Haifa. After the completion of
Operation Dekel Operation Dekel ( he, מבצע דקל , Mivtza Dekel, Operation Palm Tree), was the largest offensive by Israeli forces in the north of Palestine after the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was carried out by the 7th Armoured Briga ...
, the military police was sent to Nazareth to enforce martial law, and worked directly under the military governor. The military police was a major participant in Operation Shoter ("Policeman"). The operation was conducted during a ceasefire, which prohibited military actions, and was disguised as a military police law enforcement operation against an Arab uprising in Israel proper. A bus carrying two military police platoons made its way to
Fureidis Fureidis (also Freidis; ar, فريديس, he, פֻרֵידִיס) is an Arab town in the Haifa District of Israel. It received local council status in 1952. In its population was . Name The name is believed to come from the Arabic (''firdawi ...
, where it prepared for an attack at dawn with the combat units. The attack failed and new recruits from the military police were called in as reinforcements. They reached a stalemate near Ayn Ghazal, and retreated on July 24 at 09:00. One military policeman was killed in action. On the Jerusalem front, a military police company, under orders from Moshe Dayan and the command of Capt. Ze'ev Katz, was responsible for rationing the sparse food and supplies between the besieged population. The company, whose authority had been expanded to include gendarmerie duties due to a lack of civilian police in the besieged city, also dealt with deserter location and crowd dispersal. On June 26, 1948, a mass
Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
rally against doing
activities prohibited on Shabbat The 39 Melakhot ( he, ל״ט אבות מלאכה, '' lamed-tet avot melakhah'', "39 categories of work") are thirty-nine categories of activity which Jewish law identifies as prohibited by biblical law on Shabbat. Many of these activities are al ...
as part of warfare, was dispersed with
nightstick Nightstick or night stick may refer to: * Club (weapon), a short staff or stick wielded as a weapon ** Baton (law enforcement), a compliance tool and defensive weapon used by law-enforcement officers * Nightstick (band) Nightstick is an American ...
s and live weaponry. In the south, the military police participated mainly in
Operation Yoav Operation Yoav (also called ''Operation Ten Plagues'' or ''Operation Yo'av'') was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between th ...
and Operation Horev, mostly by placing road signs and guiding troop movement. In Operation Ovda, a squad of MPs joined the Negev Brigade on their road to Umm-Rashrash. After the operation, they helped create an airstrip in the area.


Law enforcement operations 1948–56

Aside from its combat duties during the War of Independence, the corps was active in its standard policing duties, as well as enforcing martial law in Arab towns and villages. Major operations and operations involving the civilian population were usually done in conjunction with the
Israel Police The Israel Police ( he, משטרת ישראל, ''Mišteret Yisra'el''; ar, شرطة إسرائيل, ''Shurtat Isrāʼīl'') is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fightin ...
. In August 1948, information came in that a large percentage of the deserters of the time was living in the Kerem HaTeimanim neighborhood of Tel Aviv. In an operation codenamed ''Masrek'' ("Comb"), a strict six-hour curfew was imposed and a joint force of the military police and the Israel Police conducted house-to-house searches. More than 200 people were investigated, most of whom were transferred to the absorption base. Former
Irgun Irgun • Etzel , image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...
members who refused to join the IDF following the Altalena affair were also arrested. The provisional military jail was overwhelmed with prisoners, and a mass-escape was staged on October 9, 1948. The prisoners returned voluntarily, but the event raised a scandal which saw the dismissal of several MP commanders, and the prison was handed over to the
Kiryati Brigade The Kiryati Brigade (the 4th Brigade in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war) was formed in 1948 by David Ben-Gurion and was one of the original nine brigades that made up the Haganah. The Kiryati Brigade was initially responsible for securing the area in a ...
and Palmach. On September 17, 1948, after the murder of Count Folke Bernadotte by the Lehi, civilian and military police conducted a large-scale operation to arrest Lehi operatives in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. Over a hundred members were arrested and taken through the Burma Road to the prison in Jaffa. Following a deadly traffic accident near
Ness Ziona Ness Ziona ( he, נֵס צִיּוֹנָה, ''Nes Tziyona'') is a town in central Israel. In it had a population of , and its jurisdiction was 15,579 dunams (). History Early history Lying within Ness Ziona's city bounds is the ruin of an Arab vi ...
on January 8, 1949, in which three IDF officers were killed, the military police initiated a nationwide law enforcement operation with the Israel Police, in order to curb traffic-related lawbreaking. It was codenamed Operation Mordechai (after Mordechai Nimtza-Bi, one of the officers killed in the traffic accident), which also served as the name for future missions with an identical purpose. During the original operation, almost 550 soldiers were caught and judged in a special ad hoc court, and approximately 1,700 civilians were issued fines. Two other major traffic supervision operations were carried out by the Military Police Corps in 1951 – the first on February 18, 1951, and the latter, Operation Bi'ur Hametz (not to be confused with the capture of Haifa), on April 21. Operation Bi'ur Hametz was conducted on a Shabbat, specifically to check the driving habits on this Jewish holy day. The military police was also called into action during the austerity period in Israel, to combat the increasing black market on October 5, 1950. Roadblocks were set up and military vehicles were pulled over. Construction materials, furniture, home supplies, clothes and food were found in large quantities. The Criminal Investigations Division led the investigation efforts, which helped put many contrabandists in jail. In 1952, the
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 ...
Moshe Dayan of the Southern Command ordered the military police to instill order in the immigrant camps and ''
ma'abarot Ma'abarot ( he, מַעְבָּרוֹת) were immigrant and refugee absorption camps established in Israel in the 1950s, constituting one of the largest public projects planned by the state to implement its sociospatial and housing policies. T ...
'' in the south of the country. Two major operations for locating deserters were carried out on May 10, 1952 (Operation Tihur – "Cleansing"), and in June of the same year (Operation UVaArta Hametz – "(You) cleansed for Passover"). After the two, similar operations were carried out at set intervals, and named Operation Small Filter for local jobs, and Operation Large Filter for nationwide operations. Other than large-scale enforcement operations, MPs were also engaged in many ceremonial policing duties. In 1948 it was responsible for accompanying the first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, and subsequently guarded other notables and events. The corps guarded the 1951 IDF parade, the ballot boxes for Knesset elections,
World Zionist Congress The Zionist Congress was established in 1897 by Theodor Herzl as the supreme organ of the Zionist Organization (ZO) and its legislative authority. In 1960 the names were changed to World Zionist Congress ( he, הקונגרס הציוני העו ...
members, and sometimes the IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister of Israel. MPs also accompanied the British General Robertson on his visit, and other notables in Operation Harari on July 29, 1952, and Operation Hospitality on May 17, 1953.


1956 Suez War

During the Suez Crisis of 1956, military police troops operated near the front lines, putting up road signs and escorting convoys in the
Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is ...
. Troops were allocated for finding IDF soldiers who lost their way. After the capture of Gaza by the 27th Armored Brigade, MPs escorting the brigade were stationed in the city to enforce martial law, and were later replaced by MPs from the Southern Command, who were stationed there in three ad hoc outposts to prevent looting and unnecessary contact between the IDF and the local residents. The MPs who accompanied the 27th Brigade continued with it to the
Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is ...
and helped evacuate the wounded in addition to their regular duties. Until 1956, the issue of POWs was only brought up briefly in 1948, and temporary quarantines were set up without proper administration. The corps assumed responsibility due to their experience with military prisoners, and POW camps were set up in
Nitzanim Nitzanim ( he, נִצָּנִים, ''lit.'' Flower buds) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In it had a population of . ...
in the south and
Atlit Atlit ( he, עַתְלִית, ar, عتليت) is a coastal town located south of Haifa, Israel. The community is in the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council in the Haifa District of Israel. Off the coast of Atlit is a submerged Neolithic village. At ...
in the north, as well as a camp for officers in the Damun Prison. Temporary camps were erected in Nitzana, near the border crossing with
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, and near kibbutz Magen. In all, approximately 5,500-6,000 Egyptian POWs were held in Israel during and after the war. As a result of the war and its lessons, the corps underwent numerous changes, including vehicle renewal, uniform changes and training exercises. Prison Six was constructed and better educational programs were introduced in the prisons.


Six-Day War and War of Attrition

In the Six-Day War, military policemen were placed in every major road intersection, especially in captured territory, and guided military traffic. Road patrols were created to mark road sections damaged by the Arab and Israeli forces, as well as minefields, and alternate routes were laid out. MP platoons were present in the ten major combat brigades, and accompanied them into combat in the Sinai Peninsula. Outposts were erected in Gaza, Mount Libni, Abu Rudeis,
el-Arish ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ar, العريش ' , ''Hrinokorura'') is the capital and largest city (with 164,830 inhabitants ) of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the entire Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Medite ...
, Qantarah and Sharm el-Sheikh. From the moment an area was captured, MPs were ordered to make Hebrew road and direction signs, an operation which was completed ten days after the end of the war. A POW camp was built next to Mishmar HaNegev, through which about 5,000 Egyptian POWs were moved to the permanent camp in Atlit. In total, 6,748 POWs were captured by Israel, of them 5,237 Egyptian, 899 Jordanian and 572 Syrian. The corps was also responsible for preventing the rampant Arab looting within the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
. In the direct aftermath of the war, martial law was enstated in the
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 ...
, especially East Jerusalem, and the military police was called in to enforce it. The corps worked under the newly appointed military governor, then-Brigadier General Shlomo Lahat. The first MP base in East Jerusalem was located in the Saint George Hotel, and dealt with the prevention of looting, arrest of Arab militants, and blocking Israeli citizens from entering the newly acquired territories. Martial law was also enforced by MPs based at
Gadot Gadot ( he, גָּדוֹת, ''lit.'' Banks) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Korazim Plateau, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In , it had a population of . History Kibbutz Gadot (originally '' ...
on the Syrian Druze villages of the Golan Heights, after their capture. During the War of Attrition, the corps took a more combat-ready approach, moving its training base to the newly captured territories (near Kedumim), and assisting combat units in training exercises. Between 500 and 1,000 prisoners were taken out of Prisons Four and Six to temporary camps in the Sinai to build the Bar Lev Line. This worked so well that a permanent detachment of prisoners remained at Rephidim Air Base ( Bir Gifgafa) and assisted in various chores. The IDF also set up checkpoints at the briges leading from the West Bank to Jordan, and military police were tasked with checking traffic and freight going through them for weapons and explosives. A special MP unit for guarding VIPs who passed through the area ( he, מאבטח אישים משטרה צבאית, ''Me'avte'ah Ishim Mishtara Tzva'it'', abbr. ''Ma'amatz'') was created. A similar checkpoint and forward MP base was built at
Quneitra Quneitra (also Al Qunaytirah, Qunaitira, or Kuneitra; ar, ٱلْقُنَيْطِرَة or ٱلْقُنَيطْرَة, ''al-Qunayṭrah'' or ''al-Qunayṭirah'' ) is the largely destroyed and abandoned capital of the Quneitra Governorate in sout ...
.


Yom Kippur War

In the Yom Kippur War, the military police greatly assisted in the chaos of the surprise attack on Israel, guiding reserve reinforcements to their intended destinations. In the Sinai Peninsula, large quantities of military vehicles were to move quickly to the front lines, but the narrow roads and lack of direction created major traffic jams. MPs conducted battlefield circulation control operations in order to guide vehicle movement throughout the battlefield. The preventing of looting was also a major task, this was due to the chaos that was created as a result of the surprise attack during the initial stages of the war. The corps took an active role on the southern front, joining with the major IDF divisions and even seeing combat. General Sharon handed the MP company in his division a mission to deliver the mobile pontoon bridges from the bases at Refidim and Rumani on October 15. Every vehicle on the way was taken off the road, sometimes by force. A newly arrived MP unit was then tasked with restoring order on the roads. It also constructed a temporary POW camp at Tasa. Another POW camp was erected on the Small Bitter Lake, by MPs who were part of
Abraham Adan ) , allegiance = , branch = Palmach Israel Defense Forces , serviceyears = 1943–1948 (Palmach)1948–1977 (IDF) , rank = Aluf , servicenumber = , unit = , commands = , battles = , battles_ ...
's 162nd Division. and an outpost was built in Fayid after its capture. On the northern front, the military police's initial task was to help evacuate the frontal bases and the Golan Heights settlements. The northern command of the corps was relatively organized for the war, because the unit commander took the warnings that war was impending seriously and ordered all furloughs frozen. Even before the war started, work began on erecting two temporary POW camps – in
Birya Birya ( he, בִּירִיָּה, also Biriya) is an agricultural village in northern Israel. Located in the Upper Galilee near Safed, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council. As of its population was . Biriya exist ...
and Camp Yiftach. With the war's start, many MPs worked as part of the logistical support effort, while some aided the combat forces directly. At the end of the war, the MP company in the 149th Division (one of the main forces on the northern front) moved south and continued their reserve combat tour in the Sinai. The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) was tasked by the head of the Manpower Directorate with finding Israeli
MIA Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997 * Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...
s, estimated at about 900 at the time. They did so by getting testimonies, following the Arab media for news of POWs, searching for clues at the battle sites, as well as physical searches. As a lesson from the difficulty of the searches, the CID recommended that army boots be produced with a socket for an additional
dog tag Dog tag is an informal but common term for a specific type of identification tag worn by military personnel. The tags' primary use is for the identification of casualties; they have information about the individual written on them, including ...
, a recommendation accepted and practiced ever since.


Lebanon 1978–2000

The military police's mission in Operation Litani was to ensure order among the Arab civilian population in newly captured territory in
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
. The soldiers prevented looting, mainly between the Christian and Muslim populations, and rationed the sparse food supply. IDF troops were also guided by MPs in Lebanon, where Israeli forces were not present since 1949. A POW camp was erected in the Golan Heights, and roadblocks were set up on the Israel-Lebanon border and inside Lebanon to combat contraband. The military police was involved in various ways in
Operation Peace for Galilee The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
, although the bulk of its duties were according to standard procedure. The corps had ample time to prepare for the operation and very specific designations were made for it as a result of the lessons learned from the Yom Kippur War. For the first time, it met a friendly population in Lebanon, which often cooperated with the IDF – this created a need for MP presence to prevent the soldiers from making illegal dealings with the locals. Placing road signs was also a major issue, as for the first time a major city ( Beirut) needed to be labeled, and enemy forces would certainly try to change the signs to mislead the IDF. To counter this, Graffiti was used on the city buildings to indicate direction. Military police bases were built inside new IDF bases in Beirut, Sidon, Tyre and the Beqaa Valley. A permanent POW camp was built in Ansar, which operated until 1985. The base in Tyre suffered two explosions and MPs were killed in both – 12 in the first bombing on November 11, 1982, and several more on November 4, 1983. These events became known as the
Tyre Catastrophe Tyre most often refers to: * Tire, the outer part of a wheel * Tyre, Lebanon, a Mediterranean city Tyre or Tyres may also refer to: Other places Lebanon * Tyre District * See of Tyre, a Christian diocese *Tyre Hippodrome, a UNESCO World Heritag ...
s. Some of the standard duties of the corps in Lebanon during and after war was regulating Israeli travel in the country. Many IDF soldiers sought to hike and vacation in Lebanon despite the dangers, and met with an agreeable local population that profited financially. MPs conducted patrols to prevent soldiers from going into dangerous areas, especially north of the security zone held by Israel.


Post-1983 era and the intifadas

The military police has not been involved in emergency protocol since Operation Peace for Galilee, even in the Second Lebanon War. However, major organizational changes were made in the corps following both the First Intifada and the
Al-Aqsa Intifada The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel ...
. In 1988, during the First Intifada, Ofer Prison and
Ktzi'ot Prison Ktzi'ot Prison (, ) is an Israeli detention facility located in the Negev desert south-west of Beersheba. It is Israel's largest detention facility in terms of land area, encompassing . It is also the largest detention camp in the world. During ...
were rebuilt, and Megiddo Prison stopped accepting Israeli military prisoners and changed its designation as a full-fledged incarceration facility for Palestinians. Smaller detention facilities were built in the bases near Dhahiriya, Tulkarem, etc. A special department in the corps headquarters was created to deal with Palestinian prisoners, and a special forces unit called Force 100 was founded to deal with rebellions in the prisons, and operated until 2006. A professional course for jailors who worked in these prisons was also created. A reserve military police unit, the 794th Battalion, was moved to the new
Home Front Command The Home Front Command ( he, פיקוד העורף, ''Pikud HaOref'') is an Israel Defense Forces regional command, created in February 1992 in response to the lessons of the Gulf War,Acre and
Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border wit ...
. Another event that shook the corps was the Prison Six rebellion, which caused the complete re-evaluation of the concept of imprisonment of Israeli soldiers and led to major changes in the prison sector.


Training


Basic training

In the Israeli Military Police, recruits must complete the Extended Rifleman 02 basic training, which is 6 weeks long, making it one of the easiest basic training programs in the IDF. It is however one of the most difficult types of basic training that is considered non-combat. Recruits must also pass a test in basic law enforcement (after 2–4 days' worth of lessons) in order to finish the training. Military police recruit training puts a special emphasis on discipline. While traditionally there were two companies in each round of recruits – a male company (''Pashatz'' – ''Plugat Shotrim Tzvai'im'') and a female company (''Plugat Shotrot''), starting February 2006 the male and female recruits form one training company, although each platoon has recruits of only one sex; commanders however are of both sexes. Another company, however, has been formed for recruits being trained to check Palestinians at checkpoints, which undergoes Rifleman 03 (more advanced training). The company is called Course Company ( he, פלוגת מסלול, ''Plugat Maslul'' – ''Palmas''). All military police recruits are trained in a base called Bahad 13 (''Bsis Hadrakha 13'', lit. Training Base 13), which is part of the larger City of Training Bases (a.k.a. Camp Ariel Sharon), near
Yeruham Yeruham ( he, יְרוֹחַם, ''Yeroham'') is a town ( local council) in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams (~38.6 km²), and had a population of in . It is named after the Biblical Jeroham. Un ...
. Bahad 13 was established in
Tzrifin Tzrifin ( he, צְרִיפִין) is an area in Gush Dan (Dan Region) in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the t ...
in 1954, based on the previous training base in Tel Aviv. From there it moved to a location near Nablus and Kedumim in 1969, shortly after the Six-Day War. It was relocated to Camp Mota Gur near Netanya in 1995, and in 2015 became the first base in Camp Sharon. Those who finish basic training must take a "basic course" ( he, קורס יסוד, ''kurs yesod'') in order to be able to take up their respective positions, which usually takes place in Bahad 13 as well. Formerly, each recruit also took a 1-month course in basic law enforcement and received the rank of private first class (''turai rishon'') at the end, a rank which has been discontinued.


Courses

Bahad 13, the military police training base, offers a multitude of courses, basic or otherwise. Many of the courses are carried out in conjunction with other military schools and training bases, such as the school for military law.


Basic courses

*Detectives' course ( he, קורס בילוש, ''Kurs Bilush'') *Intelligence gathering course ( he, קורס רכזי מודיעין, ''Kurs Rakazei Modi'in'') *Investigations course ( he, קורס חוקרים, ''Kurs Hokrim''), with the school for military law *Jail instructors course ( he, קורס מדריכי כלואים, ''Kurs Madrikhei Klu'im'') *Law enforcement and traffic course ( he, קורס שיטור ותעבורה, ''Kurs Shitur VeTa'avura'') *Squad commanders course ( he, קורס מפקדי כיתות, ''Kurs Mefakdei Kitot''), with Bislamach, the school for Infantry Corps professions and squad commanders. Consists of a preparation course in Bahad 13 and the actual course in Bislamach.


Other courses

*Preparation for officers' course ( he, הכנה לקצונה, ''Hakhana LeKtzuna'') *Corps officers' course completion ( he, השלמה חיילית, ''Hashlama Heilit'') *Military Police Corps NCO course ( he, קורס מש"קי חיל המשטרה הצבאית, ''Kurs Mashakei Heil HaMishtara HaTzva'it''), a.k.a. Sergeants' course ( he, קורס סמלים, ''Kurs Samalim'') *Senior discipline NCO course ( he, קורס נגדים, ''Kurs Nagadei Mishma'at'') *Company commanders' course ( he, קורס מפקדי פלוגה, ''Kurs Mefakdei Pluga'')


Former courses

These courses, as well as the units they provided a service to, were disbanded after the transfer of prisons for Palestinian detainees held in Israel to the Israel Prison Service. *Force 100 course ( he, קורס כוח מאה, ''Kurs Ko'ah Me'a''), including Lotar course *Palestinian detainee jailors' course ( he, קורס מטפלי עצורי השטחים, ''Kurs Metaplei Atzurei HaShtahim'') The following course was intended for majors, however, it has since been replaced by the course in human resources in Bahad 11. *Senior company commanders' course ( he, קורס מפקדי פלוגה בכירים, ''Kurs Mefakdei Pluga Bkhirim'')


Sectors

The military police has a multitude of sectors (''migzarim''), which carry out the responsibilities highlighted above. In addition, an instruction and training sector is present, like in all other IDF corps, and operates similarly to the others (''see
training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
above'').


Law enforcement and traffic

The law enforcement and traffic (''Shitur VeTa'avura'') sector is responsible for enforcing the discipline and proper image of soldiers, and road patrols to insure proper driving by the IDF soldiers. Soldiers in this unit often wear a
combination cap The peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It ...
instead of the standard blue beret. General law enforcement missions and other missions undertaken by policemen in this sector include: *Traffic supervision patrol ( he, סיור פיקוח תעבורה, ''Siyur Piku'ah Ta'avura'', abbr. ''Sapat'', often simply 'patrol' – ''Siyur'') – the most common military police task, which involves driving through a specified set of roads and looking for traffic infractions made by military vehicles. *Vehicle checkpost ( he, מכמונת בדיקת רכבים, ''Mikhmonet Bdikat Rekhavim'', abbr. ''Mabar'') – military policemen check drivers' licenses and permissions for use of military vehicles. *Discipline supervision ( he, פיקוח משמעת, ''Piku'ah Mishma'at'', abbr. ''Pei-Mem'') – military policemen check the appearance of the soldiers. **Operation Appearance ( he, מבצע מלביש, ''Mivtza Malbish'') – a codename for an extended discipline supervision operation undertaken in many posts simultaneously (usually major transportation hubs and major military bases), sometimes involving all the law enforcement bases at the same time. A similar operation that involves immediately judging the soldiers is called Operation Good Manners ( he, מבצע דרך ארץ, ''Mivtza Derekh Eretz''). This was put on hold in 2005 but resumed in 2010. **Operation Iron Triangle ( he, מבצע משולש הברזל, ''Mivtza Meshulash HaBarzel'') – a codename for an extended discipline and traffic supervision operation undertaken in the three largest rear-front IDF bases (Tel HaShomer, Tzrifin, and the General Staff base) by the three MP bases in the area – MP General Staff, MP Dan, and the Yamlat unit. **Operation Night Kingdom ( he, מבצע ממלכת לילה, ''Mivtza Mamlekhet Layla'') – a codename for an operation for enforcing vehicle discipline, such as insuring that soldiers' family members don't drive military vehicles without accompaniment, etc. *
Radar gun A radar speed gun (also radar gun and speed trap gun) is a device used to measure the speed of moving objects. It is used in law-enforcement to measure the speed of moving vehicles and is often used in professional spectator sport, for things su ...
( he, מד מהירות ליזר, ''Mad Mehirut Leizer'', abbr. ''Mamlez'') inspection – military policemen set up
speed trap Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside ' speed camera' ...
s in order to catch speeding military vehicles using the LTI 20-20 radar gun. This is done as part of another mission, usually a patrol. Sometimes civilian vehicles are pulled over as well, but the military police has no immediate authority to issue reports on them, and the responsibility is moved to the
Israel Police The Israel Police ( he, משטרת ישראל, ''Mišteret Yisra'el''; ar, شرطة إسرائيل, ''Shurtat Isrāʼīl'') is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fightin ...
. *Working with the National Traffic Police to catch military vehicles for misconduct. *Transfer and guarding of injured enemies ( he, שמירת פח"ע, ''Shmirat Faha'') – done in conjunction with the
Israel Border Police The Israel Border Police ( he, מִשְׁמַר הַגְּבוּל, Mišmar Ha-Gvul) is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (), meaning border g ...
, military policemen guard injured Palestinians in Israeli hospitals (mainly Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital) before they are released and sent to prison. This responsibility passes to the Israel Police after 48 hours, but in practice may still be taken up by the military police for months. *Conveyance of Palestinian families – when the families of Palestinian prisoners held in Ofer and Ktzi'ot prisons are allowed to visit, they are taken by bus from the checkpoints to the prisons, accompanied by military police patrol cars. There is a special unit called the Yamlat (''Yehida Meyuhedet LeFikuah Ta'avura'' – Special Unit for Traffic Supervision), founded in 1980 and located in Tzrifin, which is the main law enforcement unit. It has a law enforcement company and a company responsible for transferring prisoners between jails and detention centers. The law enforcement company is also responsible for
honor guard A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
s, and is considered the Chief Military Police Officer's personal unit. Another mission which it specializes in are dummy kidnappings, called Operation Emulate/Dummy ( he, מבצע מדמה ''Mivtza Medame''), where an undercover police car picks up hitchhiking osoldiers and reports on them (it is illegal for soldiers in uniform to hitchhike for security reasons). The checkpoints department (security examinations sector) is also professionally subordinate to the law enforcement and traffic sector.


Report statistics

Below are some of the 2006–07 statistics for amounts of reports against soldiers for various misconducts, handed out by military policemen in the law enforcement sector:


Prison service

The prison service (''Kli'a'') sectors guards Israeli military prisons. It is divided into two: the service responsible for guarding prisons and detention centers with Israeli prisoners, and the service responsible for guarding the two detention centers containing Palestinian detainees, Shomron and Etzion. When the military police controlled the major detainment prisons,
Megiddo Megiddo may refer to: Places and sites in Israel * Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley * Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel * Megiddo church (Israel) * Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel * Megiddo Junctio ...
, Ofer and Ktzi'ot, each of the two sub-sectors has a unique training course. As of 2007 however, all jailors undergo the jail instructors' course. The actual jailors, or jail instructors, are considered IDF commanders for all intents and purposes. The prisons are run by jail instructors ( he, מדריכי כלואים, ''Madrikhei Klu'im'' or ''Madakim'') are responsible for instructing Israeli prisoners (soldiers who committed crimes or infractions), making sure they don't escape, and rehabilitating as many as possible. The prison service sector started out as the Prison Division ( he, מחלקת בתי הסוהר, ''Mahleket Batei HaSohar'') until it became a separate sector in 1974. It was originally responsible for maintaining the provisional military prison in Tel Aviv, until Prison Four was built. Various services were introduced into the sector with time, such as education in 1977 and ''gahelet'' in the 2000s, as programs for rehabilitation. Additionally, the Prison Six revolt in 1997 revolutionized the IDF's approach to military prisons, and many new measures were introduced, in order to improve the conditions of prisoners and jailors alike, as well as make it harder for prisoners to escape and stage further revolts. When the military police was responsible for jails containing Palestinian detainees (until 2006), there were two additional subsectors: *Palestinian detainees jailors (''Metaplei Atzurei HaShetahim'' or ''M. Atzhashim'') are mostly responsible for making sure that the prisoners do not escape. **Company for Special Missions ( he, פלוגה למשימות מיוחדות, abbr. ''Palmam'') was a company in each prison responsible for protecting the jailors from harm as well as transferring the Palestinian prisoners to courts and other outside locations. *Force 100 (''Koah 100''), a combat-certified unit responsible for suppressing uprisings mainly by both Palestinian prisoners. The unit consisted of less than 100 soldiers and was used in full only in extreme cases of violence and prison rebellions.


Criminal investigation

The Criminal Investigations Department ( he, משטרה צבאית חוקרת, ''Mishtara Tzva'it Hokeret'', abbr. ''Metzah'') is a brigade-level unit in the IDF responsible for all criminal investigations involving military personnel. The unit primarily deals with the use of drugs in the army, and theft of and dealing in army weapons. Other investigations include corruption, sexual harassment and assault, suicides, killings and abuse of civilian Palestinian population (done by a special unit that works in the West Bank), and treason. The unit also deals with traffic accidents involving military vehicles. The investigations division was originally made up of poorly trained soldiers, as well as civilian lawyers, who relied solely on military law, which was based on British law and not always realistic or up to date. Only in 1995, the Military Judgement Law was formulated and organized military protocol. The CID mainly dealt with theft and smuggling charges. Originally its headquarters were located in Camp Dora in Netanya, but as part of the initial organization of the corps, they were moved to Haifa, and bases were built in Jerusalem, Camp Beit Lid and the base near Qastina. The military police command saw the importance of the investigations division and decided that only high school or higher graduates (at that time, most soldiers had not finished 12 years of high school) should be taken into the division, and their training was conducted by the much more professional
Israel Police The Israel Police ( he, משטרת ישראל, ''Mišteret Yisra'el''; ar, شرطة إسرائيل, ''Shurtat Isrāʼīl'') is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fightin ...
. Slowly, the investigations division became a professional sector and is now considered the most prestigious sector in the military police. The division was involved in investigating the
Kafr Qasim massacre The Kafr Qasim massacre took place in the Israeli Arab village of Kafr Qasim situated on the Green Line, at that time, the de facto border between Israel and the Jordanian West Bank on October 29, 1956. It was carried out by the Israel Bor ...
during the Suez War and the 1954 Lavon Affair in 1960. With the introduction of the computer in the IDF in the late 1970s, tracking stolen goods and weapons became significantly easier, and in 1980 a sharp drop was registered in successful weapon thefts. The division has several specialized and/or elite units: *A secret unit called ''Yamlam'' ( he, יחידה מרכזית לחקירות מיוחדות, ''Yehida Merkazit LeHakirot Meyuhadot'', lit. Central Unit for Special Investigations), founded in 1982, which conducts high-profile investigations. Some are done together with the
Israel Police The Israel Police ( he, משטרת ישראל, ''Mišteret Yisra'el''; ar, شرطة إسرائيل, ''Shurtat Isrāʼīl'') is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fightin ...
and the Shabak. *CID Traffic Accidents ( he, מצ"ח תאונות דרכים, ''Metzah Te'unot Drakhim''), which investigates traffic accidents pertaining to military vehicles. The unit is based in Tzrifin. *National Unit for Fraud Investigations ( he, יחידה ארצית לחקירות הונאה, ''Yehida Artzit LeHakirot Hona'a'', abbr. ''Yaha''), which investigates
white-collar crime The term "white-collar crime" refers to financially motivated, nonviolent or non-directly violent crime committed by individuals, businesses and government professionals. It was first defined by the sociologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939 as "a ...
, mainly by high-ranking officers and NCOs. *The Unit for Internal Investigations ( he, יחידה לחקירות פנים, ''Yehida LeHakirot Pnim'', abbr. ''Yahkap''), which was founded in 1994 and is not officially subordinate to the CID. It is responsible for investigating certain crimes committed by soldiers in the Military Police Corps. The unit consists mainly of reservists formerly from the CID, and is directly subordinate to the Chief Military Police Officer.


Intelligence and detection

Intelligence and detection ( he, מודיעין ובילוש, ''Modi'in UVilush'') is a sector responsible for gathering intelligence for the numerous military police sectors (this varies in nature across sectors), operational protection of military policemen during their missions, and the location and arrest of AWOLs. Before 2006, this sector was intelligence-only and the operational part was subordinate to the CID and the law enforcement sectors. It is currently professionally subordinate to the head of the CID. The sector traces its roots to the Recruitment Police ( he, משטרת גיוס, ''Mishteret Giyus''), a small unit of the corps, founded in 1948. In military prisons, intelligence collectors ( he, רכזי מודיעין, ''Rakazei Modi'in'' or ''Ramanim'') are responsible for working with collaborators within jails to find out information about potential suicides, rebellions, etc. therein. In the CID, they gather intelligence about soldiers who have committed crimes, in order to locate and arrest them and/or find evidence against them. In the law enforcement sector, a small team of intelligence collectors aids the detectives in each law enforcement base. Detectives are the operational force of this sector. They aid the CID and law enforcement sectors in various missions, and are generally known for brute strength. They are usually wear disguises. Some detectives started their service in one of the IDF special forces units. In the law enforcement sector, there is a small contingent of detectives in each base – a unit referred to as ''HaMahlaka LeItur UMa'atzar'' (abbreviated to לאו"ם, ''Le'om''), meaning The Division for Identification and Arrest. It is responsible for catching deserters (generally, those
AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...
for over 45 days) and 'shirkers' (those who haven't shown to military duty at all), as well as protecting military policemen during major discipline supervision operations. In the CID, they are generally responsible for protecting the actual investigators and intelligence collectors, as well as searches and other order execution.


Security examination

Security examinators ( he, מאבטחים בטחוניים, ''Me'avhenim Bithoni'im'' or ''Ma'ab'', a.k.a. Checkpoints – ''Ma'avarim'') is a sector founded in 2004, although it had been in planning since 2002 and the order for its founding was laid down on January 13, 2003. The sector's soldiers check non-Israelis at
Israel Defense Forces checkpoint An Israeli checkpoint ( he, מחסום, ''mahsom'', ar, حاجز, ''hajez''), is a barrier erected by the Israeli Security Forces, primarily today part of the system of West Bank closures in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The checkpoints a ...
s (including border checkpoints with enemy states). It expanded rapidly in its initial few years, with a new headquarters built especially for it (but now used only by the Ta'oz Battalion) between April 2004 and 2006 in Camp Mota Gur, next to Bahad 13. It is considered a
combat support In the United States Army, the term combat support refers to units that provide fire support and operational assistance to combat elements. Combat support units provide specialized support functions to combat units in the following areas * Chemi ...
unit with high risk, but a low-prestige unit within the corps. Even so, it is more highly respected by non-MPs than traditional military police units. The first security examination course at Bahad 13 took place in November 2003. The course lasts four weeks plus a week of basic Arabic lessons. The sector is divided into two battalions—Erez, which monitors most checkpoints around Jerusalem, and Ta'oz, manning all other military police-run checkpoints. The Erez battalion lists three companies; Alef (A), Bet (B) and Gimel (C). The Ta'oz battalion lists the following companies: Eyal (אייל), Maccabim (מכבים), Reihan (ריחן), Sahlav (סחלב) and Shomron (שומרון). Other than these battalions, soldiers in the sector also help man crossings at
Ghajar Ghajar ( ar, غجر, he, ע'ג'ר or ) is an Alawite-Arab village on the Hasbani River, on the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied portion of Syria's Golan Heights. In , it had a population of . History Early history Control ov ...
and Rosh HaNikra (
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
),
Quneitra Quneitra (also Al Qunaytirah, Qunaitira, or Kuneitra; ar, ٱلْقُنَيْطِرَة or ٱلْقُنَيطْرَة, ''al-Qunayṭrah'' or ''al-Qunayṭirah'' ) is the largely destroyed and abandoned capital of the Quneitra Governorate in sout ...
( Syria), and Erez and
Kerem Shalom Kerem Shalom ( he, כֶּרֶם שָׁלוֹם, ''lit.'' Vineyard of Peace) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located on the Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In it had a population of . Hi ...
(
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
). Since its founding in 1995, the Erez Battalion was under the jurisdiction of the
West Bank Division The Israel Defense Forces 877th Judea and Samaria Division ( he, אוּגְדָּת אֵזוֹר יְהוּדָה וְשׁוֹמְרוֹן, ; also known as the West Bank Division) is a regional division in the Israeli Central Command. It is res ...
and was operated by multiple corps, with the military police sending some soldiers. What is currently known as the Ta'oz Battalion was, in turn, called the Checkpoints Unit ( he, יחידת המעברים ''Yehidat HaMa'avarim''). During 2004–2006, Erez was transferred to the military police and included in the sector (officially subordinated to the corps in February 2006), while the prior MP checkpoint unit was renamed to Ta'oz Battalion. The ''ma'avarim'' shoulder insignia was unveiled in a ceremony in July 2004. The two hands on it symbolize the striving for co-existence between the two sides. The eye represents the constant watch for those who wish to harm this co-existence. This insignia is now only used by the Ta'oz Battalion, with Erez having a different emblem.


Sectors and operations during emergency

During an emergency such as war, when there is a general reserve call-up, the Military Police Corps changes many of its designations and its structure. Although the reserve force in the corps is comparatively small (approximately 4,000-4,500 troops at any time), the reservists take up most of the emergency positions and many of the regular units are incorporated into the reservist force. The emergency doctrine of the corps traces its roots to a document based on lessons learned from the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, after which the first emergency training was conducted in February 1951. A more detailed work titled "Military Police in the Field" was published to MP officers in December 1953. While regularly, the corps serves under the Manpower Directorate, during an emergency it moves to the
Technological and Logistics Directorate The Israeli Technological and Logistics Directorate (acronym: Atal) is a directorate in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, responsible for its logistics responses and tasks, and in particular: the building of military bases, maintaini ...
. There are two types of military police units during an emergency: frontal and rear. The frontal units serve under five of the six regional logistical support units ( he, אגד לוגיסטי מרחבי, ''Eged Logisti Merhavi''), while the rear units are under the direct command of the three regional commands. Emergency operations of the corps mainly include directing traffic at major roads and intersections, law enforcement, erecting road signs in conquered territory, and the guarding and transfer of POWs.


Frontal units

Each frontal military police unit is the size of a battalion, commanded by a lieutenant colonel. It is called Military Police Unit ( he, יחידת משטרה צבאית, ''Yehidat Mishtara Tzva'it'', abbr. ''Yahmatz''), and exists in four of the six logistical support units. It is completely absent in Regional Logistical Support Unit 5004 (belonging to the Central Command), because there is no front in the IDF Central Command since the peace treary with Jordan. In Regional Logistical Support Unit 5003 (southern Golan Heights), only the law enforcement and traffic directing company of the Military Police Unit is present. The Military Police Unit is divided into two companies: the law enforcement and traffic directing company, called Military Police Company ( he, פלוגת משטרה צבאית, ''Plugat Mishtara Tzva'it''), and the POW transfer and guarding company, called Frontal POW Company ( he, פלוגת שבויים קדמית, ''Plugat Shvuyim Kidmit'').


Military Police Company

The Military Police Company is responsible for all the law enforcement and traffic directing missions, as well as erecting road signs, assisting troop movement, and operating Frontal Supervision Points ( he, נקודת פיקוח קדמית, ''Nekudat Piku'ah Kidmit'', abbr. ''Napak''), which allow combat troops to receive orders and directions in conquered territory. Ideally, each Military Police Company consists of 3 platoons, each consisting of 3 squads. A squad has a commander, an all-terrain vehicle driver and two ATVs, and six military policemen. The company also has one medic and one mechanic.


Frontal POW Company

The Frontal POW Company is responsible for taking prisoners of war from the combat units, transferring them to temporary camps (each camp is erected by the company in four days and can contain up to 500 POWs), then sorting and transferring them to permanent regional (command) POW camps within 72 hours. Each company lists 3 platoons: a transfer platoon, an absorption platoon which sorts prisoners (this platoon also has medics, intelligence gatherers and translators for correct absorption and sorting), and a platoon responsible for the temporary POW camp.


Rear units

The rear unit of the Military Police Corps during wartime is called the Command Law Enforcement Unit. It is a brigade-level unit headed by a colonel. There is such a unit in the Northern, Central and Southern commands. In the Central Command, the unit is subordinate to the Regional Logistical Support Unit 5004. Each Command Law Enforcement Unit consists of three battalions: *Law Enforcement Battalion: headed by a lieutenant colonel, this unit is responsible for all law enforcement duties on the inside of the country. It functions similarly to the regular law enforcement units. *Command POW Camp: headed by a lieutenant colonel. Each POW camp is permanent and can contain up to 3,500 prisoners. The Northern Command camp is located at Camp Elyakim, the Central Command camp is in Ofer Prison, and the Southern Command camp is in
Ktzi'ot Prison Ktzi'ot Prison (, ) is an Israeli detention facility located in the Negev desert south-west of Beersheba. It is Israel's largest detention facility in terms of land area, encompassing . It is also the largest detention camp in the world. During ...
. *Military Police Command Unit: one of the three regular, non-reservist law enforcement units (390, 391 and 392), headed by a major in an emergency. In the central command, this unit (391) is not subordinate to the Command Law Enforcement Unit.


National POW Camp

The National POW Camp is a unit which takes in all POWs from the Frontal POW Company who are either injured or are considered quality soldiers (officers, pilots, senior NCOs, etc.). The quality POWs are sent to the national camp in Prison Six. The 393rd Reserve Battalion is responsible for guarding them. The injured POWs are the responsibility of Reserve Unit 5014 and are sent to one of four hospitals: Kaplan Hospital ( Rehovot), Asaf HaRofe Hospital ( Rishon LeZion/
Be'er Ya'akov Be'er Ya'akov ( he, בְּאֵר יַעֲקֹב, ''lit.'' Jacob's Well) is a city in central Israel, near Ness Ziona and Rishon Lezion. The town has an area of 8,580 dunams (~8.6 km²), and had a population of 30,338 in 2022. History Be'e ...
),
Tel HaShomer Hospital Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer ( he, המרכז הרפואי ע"ש חיים שיבא – תל השומר), also Tel HaShomer Hospital, is the largest hospital in Israel, located in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan at Tel HaShome ...
( Ramat Gan/
Tel HaShomer Tel HaShomer ( he, תֵּל הַשּׁוֹמֵר, ''lit.'' Hill of the Guardsman) or Kiryat Krinitzi is a neighborhood in Ramat Gan, Israel. It is bordered to the north by Kiryat Ono, to the east by Yehud, and to the south by Or Yehuda. A major ...
) or
Barzilai Hospital Barzilai Medical Center ( he, מרכז רפואי ברזילי, ''Merkaz Refu'i Barzilai''; ar, مركز برزيلاي الطبي) is a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon in southern Israel. The hospital serves a population of 500,000, including a ...
(
Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border wit ...
).


Insignia

The Israeli Military Police wears a blue beret, introduced in 1998, and its symbol is a flame. On the beret, the flame is surrounded with a banner-like curve, which says ''Heil HaMishtara HaTzva'it'' (military police corps). The military police pin image consists of blue bricks and the letters '' Mem'' and '' Tzadik'' (Mishtara Tzva'it, i.e. Military Police). The shoulder insignia varies based on the soldier's position, although it is always on a blue and red background (See ''Shoulder insignia'' below). Most military policemen also wear a blue and red
aiguillette An aiguillette (, from '' aiguille'', "needle"), also spelled , or , is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself. Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and e ...
, which has two forms – vertical lines (for law enforcement and deserter trappers), horizontal lines (for security examinators) and mixed thread (investigations, intelligence and detection). Some wear a green aiguillette (indicates a commander, used by the prison sector and in the training base). The aiguillette is worn over the left shoulder, and attached to the left shirt pocket.


Uniform

The ceremonial dress of the Military Police Corps is an IDF regular uniform, with a white peaked cap, a
brassard A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm; the term typically refers to an item of uniform worn as part of military uniform or by police or other uniformed persons. Unit, role, rank b ...
with the letters '' Mem'' and '' Tzadik'' on the left arm, and a white pistol belt. This dress is also worn on duty, mostly by MPs performing discipline patrols in public places (train and bus stations, entrances to large bases, etc.) In the past, a white helmet with the letters ''Mem'' and ''Tzadik'' was used in place of the peaked cap. Jail instructors on duty wear only the brassard, as well as a black leather belt, along with a work uniform and optionally a prison sector cap, with sergeants wearing a similar blue brassard. The security examination (checkpoints) sector wears a sector cap, as well as a black brassard with "MP" written in Hebrew, English and Arabic.


Brassards

The Israeli Defense Forces use a brassard similar in size to the US brassard. Various coloured brassards have been seen to be worn by the Israeli Military Police. These include white with red lettering, red with either blue or black lettering, blue with white lettering, black with white lettering, and white with black lettering on orange patches with a wide orange border along the bottom of the brassard. Formerly a red armband was worn with blue or black lettering.


Flag and emblem

The military police flag is a standard 3:4 banner, divided into blue and red halves with a diagonal line. The military police emblem, designed in 1949, consists of a shield and five flame tongues which, according to the creators, represent the five unbreakable truths of the military police: Purity of the arm, purity of arms, purity of heart, purity of action and purity of the eye. By contrast, the military police pin, or ''hamatzon'', has only four flame tongues. A sixth flame tongue is sometimes added to specific unit insignia, symbolizing the purity of scale.


Training insignia

Recruits and other trainees in the military police, as all IDF trainees, wear improvised shoulder ribbons to indicate their platoon. Until 2006, The male recruit company ''Pashatz'' (''Plugat Shotrim Tzvaiyim'') wore single-colored bands, while the female company (''Plugat Shotrot'') wore dual-colored bands. The male company's symbol was a dragon, while that of the female company was a lioness' head. In February 2006, the two were merged into the ''Pashatz'', and a checkpoint company called ''Palmas'' (''Plugat Maslul'') was created.


Shoulder insignia

Most units or major bases in the military police have their own shoulder insignia: *Bahad 13 – a book with a sword and flame. This is worn by the personnel at the Bahad 13 base as well as all soldiers who take a professional course at Bahad 13. *''Me'avhenim Bithoni'im'' (Ta'oz Battalion) – an eye with two hands and a flame. This is worn by all personnel in the Ta'oz Battalion, a unit which checks Palestinians at Israeli checkpoints not encompassing Jerusalem. *''Me'avhenim Bithoni'im'' (Erez Battalion) – an eye with two hands and a flame, as well as an ornament at the top, which represents the mountains of Jerusalem and the walls of the old city. This is worn by all personnel in the Erez Battalion, a unit which checks Palestinians at checkpoints encompassing Jerusalem. *Prison service (''Kli'a'') – the ''hamatzons brick background with a book and a flame. Worn by all personnel in military jails. *Criminal Investigations Division (''Metzah'') – an eye with weighing scales, a magnifying glass and a key. Worn by all policemen in the investigations department. *Headquarters (''Mekamtzar'') – a regular flame on a red and blue background. Worn by all personnel working in the ''Mekamtzar'' (military police command headquarters). Also worn by ''Yamlat'' soldiers. *Northern command – the symbol of the northern command (a deer) on a red and blue background. Worn by military policemen (law enforcers) in the northern command. *Central command – the symbol of the central command (a lion) on a red and blue background. Worn by military policemen (law enforcers) in the central command. *Southern command – the symbol of the southern command (a fox) on a red and blue background. Worn by military policemen (law enforcers) in the southern command.


Vehicles

During the initial stages of the corps' founding, most of the vehicles therein were reconstructed from scrapped British vehicles, and served various purposes. More vehicles were eventually brought to the Israel Defense Forces, and the military police started using several main types of vehicles: patrol cars and motorcycles, vans for faster transit of personnel, as well as limited prisoner transfer, and prisoner transfer trucks and buses. Leased vehicles without army markings are used for covert missions. Following is a list of vehicles used by the corps as of 2008.


Patrol cars

* Daihatsu Applause, not used anymore * Renault Mégane, not used anymore * Chevrolet Optra, not used anymore *
Subaru B4 The is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine. The Legacy was sol ...
, not used anymore *
Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
, not used anymore *
Kia Rio The Kia Rio ( ko, 기아 리오) is a subcompact car manufactured by Kia since November 1999 and now in its fourth generation. Body styles have included a three and five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, equipped with inline-four gasoline and ...
2012, not used anymore * Hyundai i35 Elantra 2013 (used by the ''Yamlat'' unit only) * Hyundai i25 2017 *
Kia Ceed The Kia Ceed (known as the Kia cee'd before 2018) is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2006 exclusively for the European market. The Ceed was first unveiled on 28 September 2006 at the Paris Motor Show. In mid-2007, ...
Sportswagon 2018


Motorcycles

* Moto-Guzzi V50 with a longitudinally mounted 90° V-twin engine (500), not used anymore. * BMW R80 with a 2-cylinder boxer engine (800), not used anymore. * Honda CBX750 with an In-line 4-cylinder engine (750), not used anymore. *
Harley Davidson Sportster The Harley-Davidson Sportster is a line of motorcycles produced continuously since 1957 by Harley-Davidson. Sportster models are designated in Harley-Davidson's product code by beginning with "XL". In 1952, the predecessors to the Sportster, the ...
with an
Evolution engine The Evolution engine (popularly known as Evo and sometimes as Blockhead ) is an air-cooled, 45-degree, V-twin engine manufactured from 1984 by Harley-Davidson for the company's motorcycles. It was made in the displacement for Harley-Davidson ...
(883)


General-purpose vans

* Ford Transit * Ford E350 "Econoline" * Chevrolet Savana


Prisoner transfer

*
International International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
DT 466 *International RE Series bus


Units and bases


Regional units

The following units are part of the corps, but are only professionally subordinate to the Chief Military Police Officers's headquarters. Instead, they are under the jurisdiction of the regional
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 ...
im (chiefs of the northern, central and southern commands). The units are headed by officers ranked lieutenant colonel, and deal mainly with law enforcement and the arrest of AWOLs, but also employ small detention centers for Israeli and (in the case of the central command) also Palestinian prisoners. Each unit is divided into several bases: its headquarters, and territorial MP stations spread out across the country. The military police base at the General Staff (''Matkal'') base (Camp Rabin/HaKirya) in Tel Aviv is also only professionally subordinate to the corps's headquarters, and directly serves the commander of Camp Rabin, ranked colonel.


Northern command

*Northern Command (390) headquarters *Military Police Golan Heights (Camp Filon), Golan Heights *Military Police Haifa (Camp Jalame), Haifa


Central command

*Central Command (391) headquarters (Camp Anatot), near
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
*Military Police Dan (Camp
Yaakov Dori Yaakov Dori (; October 8, 1899 – January 22, 1973), born Yaakov Dostrovsky, was the first Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He was also the President of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Biography Yaakov Dostr ...
),
Tel HaShomer Tel HaShomer ( he, תֵּל הַשּׁוֹמֵר, ''lit.'' Hill of the Guardsman) or Kiryat Krinitzi is a neighborhood in Ramat Gan, Israel. It is bordered to the north by Kiryat Ono, to the east by Yehud, and to the south by Or Yehuda. A major ...
*Military Police Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria (Camp Anatot), near Jerusalem *Military Police Yoav (Camp Bar Lev), near Kiryat Mal'akhi


Southern command

*Southern Command (392) headquarters ( Camp Teyman) *Military Police Ashel ( Camp Teyman) *Military Police Negev (
Camp Ariel Sharon Camp Ariel Sharon ( he, מחנה אריאל שרון, ''Mahane Ariel Sharon''), also called the City of Training Bases ( he, עיר הבה"דים, ''Ir HaBahadim''), is a complex of military bases being built in southern Israel, belonging to the Is ...
), near Beersheba *Military Police Eilat (Camp Yotam), near Eilat


Units subordinate to the corps commander

The following units are headed by lieutenant colonels (except the ''Yamlat'', which is under a major), who are in turn directly subordinate to the Chief Military Police Officer. * Prison Four – Confinement Base 394 (Camp Yadin), Tzrifin (prison sector) * Prison Six – Confinement Base 396,
Atlit Atlit ( he, עַתְלִית, ar, عتليت) is a coastal town located south of Haifa, Israel. The community is in the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council in the Haifa District of Israel. Off the coast of Atlit is a submerged Neolithic village. At ...
(prison sector) * Erez Battalion (security examination sector) *Ta'oz Battalion (security examination sector) *
Bahad Bahad ( he, בה"ד, short for ''Bsis Hadrakha'' ( he, בסיס הדרכה), ''lit.'' Training base) is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, ...
13 (
Camp Ariel Sharon Camp Ariel Sharon ( he, מחנה אריאל שרון, ''Mahane Ariel Sharon''), also called the City of Training Bases ( he, עיר הבה"דים, ''Ir HaBahadim''), is a complex of military bases being built in southern Israel, belonging to the Is ...
), near Beersheba (training base) *''Yamlat'' 8225 (Camp Mota Gur), Kfar Yona (law enforcement sector)


Corps headquarters

The Chief Military Police Officer's headquarters ( he, מפקדת קצין משטרה צבאית ראשי, ''Mifkedet Ktzin Mishtara Tzva'it Rashi'', abbr. ''Mekamtzar'', a.k.a. Unit 171) is located in Camp Ya'akov Dori (
Tel HaShomer Tel HaShomer ( he, תֵּל הַשּׁוֹמֵר, ''lit.'' Hill of the Guardsman) or Kiryat Krinitzi is a neighborhood in Ramat Gan, Israel. It is bordered to the north by Kiryat Ono, to the east by Yehud, and to the south by Or Yehuda. A major ...
). Aside from the aforementioned units directly subordinate to it, there are a number of units within the headquarters, which mainly oversee the professional side of the corps. There are 2 main brigade-level military police units in the headquarters (the Operations Division and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID)) and a number of staff units common to most corps. The Criminal Investigations Division is both a professional and operation unit, while the Operations Division is a professional guiding unit. The internal investigations unit, headed by a lieutenant, is also directly subordinate to the Chief Military Police Officer.


Staff units

Following are the staff units present in most IDF corps which are also present in the military police corps' headquarters (the commander's rank is in parentheses): *Human resources branch (major) *Computers sector (major) *Communications sector (major) *Logistics sector (major) * Hasbara department (major)


Operations Division

The Operations Division is headed by a
colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
and comprises 3 main branches, which are further divided into specialized departments (the commander's rank is in parentheses): *Law enforcement and operations branch (lieutenant colonel) **Law enforcement and traffic department (major) **Security examination department **Crime department **Deserters department (lieutenant) **Military police operations room *Prison service branch (lieutenant colonel) **Confinement bases department (major) **Detainees department **Prison sector headquarters/operations room *Doctrine, training and computers sector (major)


CID (Metzach)

The Criminal Investigations Division is a single unit (Unit 6015), both professional and operational, subordinate to the Chief Military Police Officer. Under the CID however, there are regional sub-units, similar to the regional units of the law enforcement sector, which are further divided into territorial stations, often in close proximity to the corresponding law enforcement bases. ;Northern Command *Metzah Biranit (91st Division), Biranit *Metzah Haifa (Camp Jalame), Haifa *Metzah North Headquarters, Haifa *Metzah Ramat HaGolan (Camp Filon), Golan Heights ;Central Command *Metzah Center Headquarters (Camp Yadin),
Tzrifin Tzrifin ( he, צְרִיפִין) is an area in Gush Dan (Dan Region) in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the t ...
**Central Unit ( he, ימ"ר מרכז, ''Yamar Merkaz'') **Central Traffic Accidents Unit *Metzah Dan (Camp Yadin), Tzrifin *Metzah Jerusalem (Camp Anatot),
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
*Metzah Sharon VeShomron (Camp Mota Gur), Kfar Yona *Metzah Yoav (Camp Bar-Lev), near Qiryat Mal'akhi ;Southern Command *Metzah Arava (Ovda Airforce Base), Arava *Metzah Be'er Sheva (Camp Nathan),
Be'er Sheva Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...
*Metzah South Headquarters (Camp Nathan), Be'er Sheva *Metzah Urim, near Ofaqim ;Central Unit for Special Investigations *Yamlam, Green House ( Jaffa)


Former bases


Training

Bahad 13, which was founded in
Tzrifin Tzrifin ( he, צְרִיפִין) is an area in Gush Dan (Dan Region) in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the t ...
in 1954, was moved to a base near Kedumim and Nablus in 1969, and later moved again to Camp Mota Gur near Kfar Yona in 1995.


Law enforcement

Like today, 3 law enforcement stations existed in the Northern Command unit (390) of the military police. In the beginning 2000s, it was decided to move all 3 of these bases into larger ones for economic reasons: *Military Police Gadot, near kibbutz
Gadot Gadot ( he, גָּדוֹת, ''lit.'' Banks) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Korazim Plateau, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In , it had a population of . History Kibbutz Gadot (originally '' ...
– moved to Camp Filon (MP Golan Heights) *Military Police Nesher, near
Nesher Nesher ( he, נֶשֶׁר) is a city in the Haifa District of Israel. In it had a population of . It was founded in 1923 as a workers town for the Nesher Cement factory, the first cement factory in the country. History Nesher was founded in ...
– moved to Camp Jalame (MP Haifa) *Military Police Tiberias, near Tiberias – moved to Camp Shimshon (MP HaAmakim) Following
Operation Peace for Galilee The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
, the corps also set up bases in
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
along with other Israeli Security Forces units. A base existed in Tyre and Sidon, each. Prior to 1980, a military police base was located in Tel Aviv and was responsible for the area, and another one in Tzrifin. During that year, when the ''Yamlat'' was founded, the Tel Aviv base was deemed no longer necessary. It was moved to Tel HaShomer and renamed Military Police Dan. The ''Yamlat'' unit replaced the old base in Tzrifin as a law enforcement unit, while other designations (such as the base's detention center) were taken up by the central command unit's headquarters on the same site. The unit's headquarters, which were formerly in Military Police Tzrifin, were moved to Camp Anatot between 2004 and 2007, a relatively new base between
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
and Ma'ale Adummim. The creation of Anatot also saw the relocation thereto of Military Police Jerusalem, previously located in Camp Schneller in the city proper. Another base in the central command was located in the
Jordan valley The Jordan Valley ( ar, غور الأردن, ''Ghor al-Urdun''; he, עֵמֶק הַיַרְדֵּן, ''Emek HaYarden'') forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Unlike most other river valleys, the term "Jordan Valley" often applies just to ...
, called Military Police Jordan. It was dismantled due to lack of necessity. Prior to the corps's re-organization following the Oslo Accords, a military police base existed in the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
, called Military Police Gaza. It was dismantled as part of the handing over of the strip to the Palestinian Authority, and split into Military Police Urim and Military Police Erez. MP Erez was later merged with the ''Sirpad'' combat unit and moved to a new base (see next section).


Combat units

Following the Oslo Accords and the tensions between the Jewish and Palestinian civilian populations in the Palestinian Territories, three combat companies were founded in the military police, which kept the order in the Jewish settlements. ''Sahlav'' (''lit.'' orchid, a.k.a. 60th MP Company) and ''Sayfan'' (''lit.''
gladiolus ''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''g ...
), which were subordinate to the central command unit (391), were located in the Hebron area and the
Binyamin Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...
area, respectively. The third company, ''Sirpad'' (''lit.'' nettle), was founded on the principle of the first two, and was subordinate to the southern command unit (392). It was located in the Gaza Division's base, but later relocated to Nisanit (
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
), after a merged with Military Police Erez. As the tensions between Jews and Arabs in the Palestinian Territories increased, these companies started to make arrests and conveyance of Palestinians, contrary to their original designations. As a result, following the onset of the Second Intifada, ''Sayfan'' and ''Sirpad'' were disbanded due to the lack of operational necessity (many of their missions were taken up by the Ofer and Ktzi'ot prisons, and the
Israel Border Police The Israel Border Police ( he, מִשְׁמַר הַגְּבוּל, Mišmar Ha-Gvul) is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (), meaning border g ...
), while ''Sahlav'' continued working until December 2005. The ''Sahlav'' company was the first IDF unit to provide combat training for female soldiers, long before the
Caracal Battalion The 33rd "Caracal" Battalion () is an infantry combat battalion of the Israel Defense Forces, one of the three fully combat units (alongside the ' Lions of Jordan Battalion' and the ' Cheetah Battalion') in the Israeli military's Paran Brigade ...
and similar units were founded.


Leadership

The Military Police Corps is headed by the Chief Military Police Officer ( he, קצין משטרה צבאית ראשי, ''Ktzin Mishtara Tzva'it Rashi'', abbr. ''Kamtzar''), a title similar to the UK/US Provost Marshal. The CMPO and most of the other military police leadership operate in the ''Mekamtzar'' (Chief Military Police Officer Headquarters). The Chief Military Police Officer position was established in 1950 and a rank of colonel designated to it. The first official holder of the position was Yosef Pressman. In 1974, the rank of brigadier general was designated to the position, and then Chief MP Officer Colonel Zalman Vardi was promoted to this rank.


List of Chief Military Police Officers


Notable military policemen

Below is a list of notable Israelis in non-military fields who served in the Military Police Corps. * Yityish Titi Aynaw, model,
Miss Israel Miss Israel ( he, מַלְכַּת הַיֹּפִי, , ) is a national beauty pageant in Israel. The pageant was founded in 1950, where the winners were sent to Miss Universe. The pageant was also existing to send delegates to Miss World, Miss I ...
2013 * Assi Azar, television host * Liraz Dror, model * Nadav Hanefeld, basketball player * Rami Hoiberger, actor and comedian * Zion Marili, football player * Shimon Mizrahi, the chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club * Hila Nahshon, television hostess and model *
Amir Ohana Amir Ohana ( he, אָמִיר אוֹחָנָה, born 15 March 1976) is an Israeli lawyer, former Shin Bet official and politician who currently serves a member of the Knesset for Likud. He previously held the posts of Minister of Justice and Mi ...
, activist, politician and Knesset member *
Avraham Poraz Avraham Poraz ( he, אברהם פורז, born 9 August 1945) is an Israeli lawyer and former politician. Biography Poraz was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1945 and immigrated to Israel in 1950. He served in the Military Police Corps of the ...
, politician, Knesset member and government minister *
Yona Yahav Yona Yahav ( he, יונה יהב, born 19 June 1944) is an Israeli lawyer and politician. He was formerly a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. Yahav was the mayor of Haifa between 2003 and 2018. In the 2018 Haifa mayoral election, he lo ...
, politician and Knesset member; mayor of Haifa since 2003


References


External links


Further reading

*Harel, Zvi (1982) – ''IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia (Vol. 16) – The Military Police'' *Asher, Danny (2008) – ''Red and Blue – A Corps's Story 1948–2008''


External links


Military police website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Military police Corps of Israel Law enforcement in Israel Israel Defense Forces Military units and formations established in 1944