At the opening of the Geneva Peace Conference in December 1973, the American Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger observed that, except for uneasy cease-fires and armistices, the Arab-Israeli conflict constituted one continued war that had already lasted 25 years. Despite the events that have taken place since that observation was made, Israel Defence Force, or IDF. The central theme of this book is the evolution of the modern Israeli Army, its organisation, doctrines, and special characteristics.