Branches of GovernmentEnacted 1976
Basic Law: The Military חוק יסוד: הצבא
Places the Israel Defense Forces under the government's authority, with the Defense Minister responsible on its behalf. It defines the Chief of Staff's position and requires a legal basis for military service and other armed forces.
Key provisions
- The IDF is the army of the State
- The army is subject to the authority of the Government, with the Minister of Defense in charge on the government's behalf
- The Chief of the General Staff is the supreme commander of the army, subordinate to the Government and subject to the Defense Minister
- Forbids forming or maintaining any other armed force except by law
- Duties to serve and enlist, and authority to issue military orders, must be prescribed by or under law.
Today
Conscription arrangements are governed by separate legislation. On 3 September 2026, the Supreme Court unanimously invalidated July's temporary law suspending arrest and enforcement proceedings for qualifying yeshiva students. Basic Law: Torah Study does not itself grant draft exemptions.
Cite this page
Basic Law: The Military (1976). The State of Israel. https://thestateofisrael.com/basic-law/the-military