ISRAEL    

ISRAEL finds itself constantly under siege, with impending threats by it's Arab neighbours with continuous guerilla attacks by groups seeking it's (Israel's) eradication and downfall. PSYOPS plays an important part in the military strategy - not only in deterring it's enemies but importantly in terms of justifying it's constant state of readiness and pre-emptive attack policies. both internally to it's citizens and internationally. Morale amongst it's own population is essential and promoting a positive press is paramount in retaining popular international support.  This makes the role of certain units very interesting and doubly important. Within the IDF the Military Intelligence apparatus is predominant. The IDF Intelligence Corps is specifically tasked with the role to:

• To develop the disinformation sector, and guide its activities, to arrange disinformation activities, and execute them. 
• To plan, develop and execute psychological warfare.
• To define the operating procedure of information censorship.

Further, on a startegic military front, Israel has The Centre for Consciousness Operations, abbreviated MALAT and is found within the IDF Operatiosn Directorate. The unit specialises in PSYOPS. Established in between 2004 and 2005, the unit is headed by a senior Colonel and comprises IDF Intelligence Corps officers and civilian Psychologists / Specialists etc.  

Alongside the MALAT in the IDF Operations Directorate, one also finds the IDF Spokesperson Division (IDF Spokesperson's Unit).

Within this Division one finds the folloWwng branches: 

• Domestic Press Liaison - consists of Print Media, Local Press, Electronic Media and Monitoring of operational dispatches
• Foreign Press Liaison
• Public Relations - consists of 3 sections: Visitors, Lectures and Briefings, and Public Assistance
• Information Bureau
• Media Monitoring Center
• Organisation and Training
• Initiatives and Planning
• Think Tank
• Film and Video unit and Photography unit
• Regional Representatives of Command HQ's - Jeruslam, Northern Command, Southern Command etc 

Own Forces morale is enhanced by IDF Radio (Galey Zahal = 'IDF Waves'), IDF Magazine (Ma' machane = 'In the Camp') and IDF Military Photogrpaher (Zalam Tzvaai ) and IDF Spokesperson unit (Dover Zahal). Following the recent war in the Lebanon, 2006, the IDF Spokesperon's Unit has decided upon creating a combat camera unit - Combat Film and Photography Unit. This unit will be charged with producing real time images for immediate counter PSYOPS against what the IDF sees as a very well organised media campaign orchestrated by the likes of Hizbollah, Hamas etc.  IDF soldiers in Infantry, Armour and SF roles will be taught to use cameras under combat conditions.  

CLOTH PATCH - Unnauthorised	UNIT TAG	IDF SPOKESPERSON
IDF RADIO		new style logo
PSYOPS Qualification badge	old IDF Spokesperson log	ISRAELI PSYOPS in action

Ktzin Itonut IDF Press Officer 1948 -1980	Katav Tzvai  IDF Military Reporter 1948 - current
1948-1980 Sofer Tzvai -IDF Military Correspondent	Ba-Makhane IDF 'news weekly
Dover Zahal IDF MILIATRY SPOKESPERSON 1990 -current	Tzalam Tzvai  IDF Military Photographer
'Galey Zahal - IDF Radio	IDF RADIO epaullettes

Currently the IDF website has the following listed as the structure of the unit: IDF Spokesperson: The IDF Spokesperson heads the IDF Spokesperson Brigade and holds the rank of Brigadier General. The IDF Spokesperson is subordinate to the Chief of the Operations Branch (officer holding a Major General rank), and is a member of the IDF General Staff Forum. The current IDF Spokesperson is Brigadier General Miiri Regev who was appointed into the position in June 2005.  

Brigade Operations Branch: Provides logistics, organization and administration for all the brigade's operations.  

Strategic Branch: Responsible for building strategies for use in the brigade's operations. The branch is split into two primary departments serving side by side- research and strategy.  

IDF Spokesperson Film Unit: This unit is responsible for the production of public relation material in accordance with the public relations policy of the IDF Spokesperson unit. The unit's most famous product was the film "Two Fingers from Sidon" released in 1985. The unit is made up of seven departments: Internet (operated the IDF official website), photography, video, editing, archives, production and post-production. The unit has suffered one casualty, Sergeant Lior Ziv, a photographer in the unit who was killed during military operations in 2003.  

Foreign Communications Branch: Responsible for the administration of communications between the military and civilian community and for shaping the image of the IDF in the public arena through various means: Jewish organizations, governmental authorities, and distributing of public relation material for civilian production companies and other inquiring institutions.   

The Training Branch: This directional branch produces military press releases and assembles the communication and messages of the IDF. The branch is split into two main parts. The Department of Doctrine and Drills and the School of Communications located in Dayan base in the Glilot region and is responsible for the communication training of senior IDF commanders.   

The Communications Branch: Responsible for the daily management of communication with various media outlets for specific target audiences in the Deskim Department: The Shoken, Yideot, Actualy, Maaraiv newspapers, religious media, radio and internet, and local papers are assisted by military journalists from the Deskim department on military and security matters. Another area in this branch is international communication that is manned by various desks: North America, Europe and the Pacific, Latin America and Russian and Arabic language communications. Initiative Branch: Localizes and promotes battle lore slated for distribution to various media outlets. The Operations Branch: The center of combat public relations information and constant communication with those in the field. The branch is subservient to the IDF Spokesperson in regional headquarters. The branch also contains a reporting department. The branch operates 24/7 and is responsible for all outgoing IDF Spokesperson press releases, beeper messages, updates for newspapers etc.