Military Police Corps (Israel)
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[[Image:Imp.jpg|right|thumb|Military Police Corps logo]]
:''For other uses, see [[Military Police Corps]].''
The '''Military Police Corps''' of the [[Israel Defense Forces]] ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: חיל המשטרה הצבאית, ''Heil HaMishtara HaTzva'it'') is the [[Israel]]i [[military police]]. The military police serves the [[Israeli Human Resources Directorate|Human Resources Directorate]] in the IDF, although it falls under a different command during an emergency situation (such as war).
The military police has attracted a negative image by Israelis over the years due to it being responsible for putting many Israeli soldiers in jail for various misconducts, but this image is thought to be recovering, especially as of 2004 when the police started to check Palestinians at checkpoints (a position most Israelis consider vital for the state's security).
The military police is also known for having one of the strictest levels of discipline in the IDF. It is also one of the first corps to allow women to perform equal duties to men, and the first corps to have a combat-certified woman.
In the Israel Defense Forces, it is responsible for the following:
*Enforcing the discipline and proper image of Israeli soldiers, especially new military laws that come into being
*Guarding [[Israeli military prison]]s, as well as detention centers with Palestinian prisoners
*Checking Palestinians for weapons and explosives, and sometimes their intentions at checkpoints
**''This responsibility was passed to the military police in 2003 (formally) and 2004 (in practice), before which it was taken up by other corps.''
The military police follows the principle of A Choice in Life, which says no to traffic accidents, narcotics, alcohol, suicide and improper use of weapons.
{{TOClimit|limit=3}}
==History==
===Founding and initial organization===
[[Image:Israeli military police women stand in formation during an honor cordon ceremony for Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates in Tel Aviv.JPEG|thumb|250px|Israeli military police women stand in formation during an honor cordon ceremony for US [[Secretary of Defense]], [[Robert Gates]] in [[Tel Aviv]]]]
The Israeli Military Police traces its roots to a Jewish youth paramilitary organization called ''[[Notrim]]'', founded in 1936. It was legal under [[British Mandate of Palestine|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]], the ''Notrim'' became part of the [[Jewish Brigade]], 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]], [[Egypt]] were the initial nucleus of the organization. It recruited soldiers mainly from the brigade and trained them at a British [[police academy]] in the conquered territory on the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian front]] near [[Naples]], where they studied military law enforcement and motorcycle riding.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Military Police Corps - The Brigade Police|encyclopedia=IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia|last=Harel|first=Zvi|editor=Yehuda Shif|publisher=Revivim Publishing|year=1982|pages=14|language=Hebrew|volume=Volume 16}}</ref>
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,<ref name="army born">{{Cite book|title=An Army is Born|author=Zahava Ostfeld|year=1994|publisher=Israel Ministry of Defense|isbn=965-05-0695-0|editor=ed. Shoshana Shiptel|language=Hebrew}}</ref> and quickly expanded as the necessities of a military police service were made clear in the IDF.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Military Police Corps - Lieutenant Colonel Danny Magen|encyclopedia=IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia|last=Harel|first=Zvi|editor=Yehuda Shif|publisher=Revivim Publishing|year=1982|pages=16|language=Hebrew|volume=Volume 16}}</ref> The first military police course took place during Israel's founding and the force immediately joined the effort to fight the invading Arab forces. Military police troops participated in Operations [[Operation Yoav|Yoav]], [[Operation Ovda|Ovda]] and others. Overall however, the military police concentrated on creating road signs and guiding troop movement.
In 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'') and an [[#Flag and emblem|emblem]] was created for the new corps.
A dog handler unit was founded in the military police and used dogs to detect explosives and injured and dead bodies. Despite its many successes, it was disbanded in 1954 due to a lack of funding. Today, a similar unit is operated by the [[Israel Border Police]].
===Participation in major conflicts===
====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]]. It moved to [[Nazareth]] when the city was conquered from Arab forces. Among others, the northern front's job was to deliver the ''[[Canon de 65 M(montagne) modele 1906|Napoleonchik]]'' cannons, which turned the tide of several battles on the front. 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]], returning the men and evacuating the women and children to [[Haifa]]. 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.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Military Police Corps - Combat Military Police|encyclopedia=IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia|last=Harel|first=Zvi|editor=Yehuda Shif|publisher=Revivim Publishing|year=1982|pages=15|language=Hebrew}}</ref>
====1956 Suez War====
During the [[Suez Crisis]] of 1956, military police troops operated near the front lines, putting road signs in the [[Sinai Peninsula]]. For the first time, the issue of [[prisoner of war|POW]]s was brought up and the military police built prisons in [[Nitzanim]] in the south, and [[Atlit]] in the north, to contain the 5500 or so prisoners or war captured during the Suez War. As a result, Israel's only [[Israeli military prison|military prison]] at the time, [[Prison Four]], suffered neglection and it was decided to build another prison ([[Prison Six]]) near Atlit.
====Six-Day War====
In the [[Six-Day War]], military policemen were placed in every major Israeli road intersection and guided military traffic. Some MPs were integrated into combat units and fought on the front lines. Notably, a military police contingent was tasked with guarding the conquered Gaza's commercial centers, which were plundered during the war. The investigations division was also involved in investigating the robberies. The prison service wing was responsible for guarding Egyptian prisoners of war captured in the Sinai Peninsula.
====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. Certain military police units fought on the front lines. The investigations department of the military police was tasked with finding Israeli [[Missing in action|MIA]]s, numbering about 900 at the time.
====Operation Peace for Galilee====
The military police was involved in various ways in [[1982 Lebanon War|Operation Peace for Galilee]]. It was stationed at a base in Tyre (mainly with [[Israel Border Police]] troops), which was subject to two explosions. Many MPs were killed during both, which became known as the [[Tyre Catastrophe]] and the Tyre Catastrophe B.
===Post-1983 era===
The military police has not been involved in the IDF's combat duties after Operation Peace for Galilee, and has instead performed standard duties. However, major organizational changes were made in the corps following both the [[First Intifada]] and the [[Al-Aqsa Intifada]], the most important being the construction and turning over to the [[Israel Prison Service]] of the three major prisons for Palestinian detainees - Megiddo, Ktzi'ot and Ofer, as well as the founding of the security examinations sector. 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.
In 2005, an elite military police unit, Sahlav, was disbanded because its role was no longer needed in the military police, and because its troops refused to identify with the military police during [[Israel's unilateral disengagement plan|Israel's unilateral disengagement]] from the [[Gaza Strip]]. The Sahlav Company still exists by name and guards checkpoints as part of the Taoz Battalion in the security examinations sector.
==Training==
===Basic training===
:''See also: [[Recruit training]], [[Tironut]].''
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 ('''''P'''a'''sh'''a'''tz''''' - ''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 ({{lang-he|פלוגת מסלול}} ''Plugat Maslul'' - '''''P'''a'''lm'''a'''s''''').
All military police recruits are trained in a base called [[Bahad|'''B'''a'''h'''a'''d''']] 13 (''Bsis Hadrakha 13'', lit. Training Base 13), which is part of the larger Area 21 (a.k.a. Camp Mota Gur), near [[Netanya]]. Bahad 13 was originally established in [[Tzrifin]], from where it moved to a location near [[Nablus]] and [[Kedumim]] in 1969, shortly after the Six-Day War. It was relocated to Camp Mota Gur in 1995.
At the end of the training, recruits swear themselves in at the [[Western Wall]] in [[Jerusalem]], which is considered extremely prestigious in the IDF. Those who finish basic training must take a "basic course" ({{lang-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 ({{lang-he|קורס בילוש}}, ''Kurs Bilush'')
*Intelligence gathering course ({{lang-he|קורס רכזי מודיעין}}, ''Kurs Rakazei Modi'in'')
*Investigations course ({{lang-he|קורס חוקרים}}, ''Kurs Hokrim''), with the school for military law
*Jail instructors course ({{lang-he|קורס מדריכי כלואים}}, ''Kurs Madrikhei Klu'im'')
*Law enforcement and traffic course ({{lang-he|קורס שיטור ותעבורה}}, ''Kurs Shitur VeTa'abura'')
*Squad commanders course ({{lang-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 ({{lang-he|הכנה לקצונה}}, ''Hakhana LeKtzuna'')
*Corps officers' course completion ({{lang-he|השלמה חיילית}}, ''Hashlama Heilit'')
*Military Police Corps NCO course ({{lang-he|קורס מש"קי חיל המשטרה הצבאית}}, ''Kurs Mashakei Heil HaMishtara HaTzva'it''), a.k.a. Sergeants' course ({{lang-he|קורס סמלים}}, ''Kurs Samalim'')
*Senior discipline NCO course ({{lang-he|קורס נגדים}}, ''Kurs Nagadei Mishma'at'')
*Company commanders' course ({{lang-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 ({{lang-he|קורס כוח מאה}}, ''Kurs Ko'ah Me'a''), including [[Lotar]] course
*Palestinian detainee jailors' course ({{lang-he|קורס מטפלי עצורי השטחים}}, ''Kurs Metaplei Atzurei HaShtahim'')
The following course was intended for [[major]]s, however, it has since been replaced by the course in human resources in Bahad 11.
*Senior company commanders' course ({{lang-he|קורס מפקדי פלוגה בכירים}}, ''Kurs Mefakdei Pluga Bkhirim'')
==Sectors==
[[Image:Nayedet megane.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A Renault Mégane patrol car]]
[[Image:Zinzana.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A truck for transferring prisoners (Hebrew slang: ''zinzana''), used by the ''Yamlat'''s transfer company]]
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]] 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]] instead of the standard blue beret.<ref name="MP book-sectors">{{Cite book|author=Asher, Danny|month=April|year=2008|publisher=[[Israeli Ministry of Defense]]|title=Red and Blue - A Corps's Story 1948-2008|pages=pp. 11-15}} {{he icon}}</ref>
General law enforcement missions and other missions undertaken by policemen in this sector include:
*Traffic supervision patrol ({{lang-he|סיור פיקוח תעבורה}}, ''Siyur Piku'ah Ta'avura'', abbr. '''''S'''a'''p'''a'''t''''', 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 ({{lang-he|מכמונת בדיקת רכבים}}, ''Mikhmonet Bdikat Rekhavim'', abbr. '''''M'''a'''b'''a'''r''''') - military policemen check drivers' licenses and permissions for use of military vehicles.
*Discipline supervision ({{lang-he|פיקוח משמעת}}, ''Piku'ah Mishma'at'', abbr. ''Pei-Mem'') - military policemen check the appearance of the soldiers.
**Operation Appearance ({{lang-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.
**Operation Iron Triangle ({{lang-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.
*[[Radar gun]] ({{lang-he|ממל"ז}}, abbr. '''''M'''a'''ml'''e'''z''''') inspection - military policemen set up [[speed trap]]s in order to catch speeding military vehicles using the LTI 20-20<ref>[http://www.lasertech.com/UltraLyte100LRSpec.pdf Radar gun specs] form Laser Technology. Accessed 2008-06-17.</ref> 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]].
*Working with the [[National Traffic Police]] to catch military vehicles for misconduct.
*Transfer and guarding of injured enemies ({{lang-he|שמירת פח"ע}}, ''Shmirat Faha'') - done in conjunction with the [[Israel Border Police]], military policemen guard injured Palestinians in Israeli hospitals (mainly [[Hadassah Medical Center#Ein Kerem campus|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 '''Y'''a'''ml'''a'''t''' (''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]]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 ({{lang-he|מבצע מדמה}} ''Mivtza Medame''), where an undercover police car picks up [[hitchhiking]] soldiers and reports on them (it is illegal for soldiers in uniform to hitchhike for security reasons).<ref>General Staff Order 02.0104</ref>
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:
{| class="wikitable"
! !!2006 amount!!2007 estimate
|-
|Operations Appearance
|6,787
|7,488
|-
|Operations Iron Triangle
|6,671
|5,310
|-
|Increased enforcement operations
|295 (5 operations)
|178 (3 operations)
|-
|Dummy kidnappings
|678
|576 (77 to combat and 499 to non-combat)
|-
|Speeding tickets
|1,178 (~1,100<ref name="bamahane1">{{Cite news|url=http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/today/2007/122/2701.htm|accessdate=2007-12-27|language=Hebrew|publisher=[[Bamahane]]|date=2007-12-27|last=Mor|first=Adir|title=Rise of Approx. 60% in the Number of Speeding Tickets Handed Out This Year}}</ref>)
|1,866 (~1,800<ref name="bamahane1" />)
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''32,765'''
|'''30,837'''
|}
===Prison service===
:''See also: [[Israeli military prison]]''
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 Prison|Megiddo]], [[Ofer Prison|Ofer]] and [[Ktzi'ot Prison|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, although as of August 2007, are no longer distinguished by the green aiguilette worn by most commanders and instructors in the IDF. Instead, a new red and blue aiguillette was made for them, different in design than that of the law enforcement sector.
The prisons are run by jail instructors (''Madrikhei Kluim'' or '''''M'''a'''d'''a'''k'''im'') 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 (Hebrew: 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 (''see also: [[Incarceration facility (Israel)]]''):
*Palestinan detainees jailors (''Metaplei Atzurei HaShetahim'' or '''''M'''. '''Atzh'''a'''sh'''im'') are mostly responsible for making sure that the prisoners do not escape.
**Company for Special Missions ({{lang-he|פלוגה למשימות מיוחדות}}, abbr. '''''P'''a'''lm'''a'''m''''') 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 Division ({{lang-he|משטרה צבאית חוקרת}}, ''Mishtara Tzva'it Hokeret'', abbr. '''''M'''e'''tz'''a'''h''''') is a unit in the IDF responsible for all criminal investigations inside the IDF. 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 Palestinan 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 who relied solely on military law, which was not always realistic and up to date. They operated mainly in Tel Aviv and dealt with theft and smuggling charges. 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]]. Slowly, the investigations division became a professional sector and is now considered the most prestigious sector in the military police.
The division has several specialized and/or elite units:
*A secret unit called '''''Y'''a'''ml'''a'''m''''' ({{lang-he|יחידה מרכזית לחקירות מיוחדות}}, ''Yehida Merkazit LeHakirot Meyuhadot'', lit. Central Unit for Special Investigations), founded in 1983, which conducts high profile investigations. Some are done together with the [[Israel Police]] and the [[Shin Bet|Shabak]].
*CID Traffic Accidents ({{lang-he|מצ"ח תאונות דרכים}}, ''Metzah Te'unot Drakhim''), which investigates traffic accidents pertaining to military vehicles. The unit is based in Tzrifin.
*The Unit for Fraud Investigations ({{lang-he|יחידה לחקירות הונאה}}, ''Yehida LeHakirot Hona'a'', abbr. '''''Y'''a'''h'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''a'''''), which investigates [[White-collar worker|white-collar]] crime, mainly by high-ranking officers and NCOs.
*The Unit for Internal Investigations ({{lang-he|יחידה לחקירות פנים}}, ''Yehida LeHakirot Pnim'', abbr. '''''Y'''a'''hk'''a'''p'''''), which is not officially subordinate to the CID and 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aka.idf.il/chamatz/klali/default.asp?catId=39003&docId=39582&list=1|title=Internal Investigations|publisher=IDF Human Resources Directorate|accessdate=2007-09-28|language=Hebrew}}</ref>
===Intelligence and detection===
Intelligence and detection ({{lang-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. This sector was formerly 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.
In military prisons, intelligence collectors ({{lang-he|רכזי מודיעין}}, ''Rakazei Modi'in'' or '''''R'''a'''m'''a'''n'''im'') 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.
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 [[Desertion|AWOL]] for over 45 days) and 'shirkers' (those who haven't shown to military duty at all),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aka.idf.il/chamatz/klali/default.asp?catId=38988&docId=39595&list=1|title=Law enforcement in the military police|accessdate=2007-05-26|publisher=IDF Human Resources Directorate|language=Hebrew}}</ref> 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 ({{lang-he|מאבטחים בטחוניים}}, ''Me'avhenim Bithoni'im'' or '''''Ma''''a'''b''''', 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]]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]] 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]] and [[Rosh HaNikra]] ([[Lebanon]]), [[Quneitra]] ([[Syria]]), and [[Erez Crossing|Erez]] and [[Kerem Shalom Crossing|Kerem Shalom]] ([[Gaza Strip]]).
Since its founding in 1995, the Erez Battalion was under the jurisdiction of the [[West Bank Division]] 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 ({{lang-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.
While regularly, the corps serves under the [[Human Resources Directorate]], during an emergency it moves to the [[Logistics, Medical, and the Centers Directorate]]. 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 ({{lang-he|אגד לוגיסטי מרחבי}} ''Egged 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 [[Prisoner of War|POW]]s.
===Frontal units===
[[Image:Structure military police unit.png|thumb|right|300px|Organization chart of the Military Police Unit and its sub-units]]
Each frontal military police unit is the size of a battalion, commanded by a lieutenant colonel. It is called Military Police Unit ({{lang-he|יחידת משטרה צבאית}} ''Yehidat Mishtara Tzva'it'', abbr. '''''Y'''a'''hm'''a'''tz'''''), 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 (Israel)|Central Command]]), because there is no front in the IDF Central Command since the [[Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace|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 ({{lang-he|פלוגת משטרה צבאית}} ''Plugat Mishtara Tzva'it''), and the POW transfer and guarding company, called Frontal POW Company ({{lang-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 ({{lang-he|נקודת פיקוח קדמית}} ''Nekudat Piku'ah Kidmit'', abbr. '''''N'''a'''p'''a'''k'''''), 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 cosists 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]].
*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 Battalion is responsible for guarding them.
The injured POWs are sent to one of four hospitals: [[Kaplan Hospital]] ([[Rehovot]]), [[Asaf HaRofe Hospital]] ([[Rishon LeZion]]/[[Be'er Ya'akov]]), [[Sheba Medical Center|Tel HaShomer Hospital]] ([[Ramat Gan]]/[[Tel HaShomer]]) or [[Barzilai Hospital]] ([[Ashkelon]]).
==Insignia==
[[Image:Hamatzon.jpg|right|frame|The military police pin, called ''Khamatson'']]
The Israeli Military Police wears a blue beret, introduced in 1998,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/bamahana/08/01/01.htm|title=Beret Under the Test|language=Hebrew|accessdate=2008-02-06|date=2008-01-03|publisher=[[Bamahane]]|author=Eleazar, Ido}}</ref> 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 ''[[Tsade|Tzadik]]'' ('''M'''ishtara '''Tz'''va'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]], which has two forms - vertical (for law enforcement, investigations, etc.) and horizontal lines (for the prison service sector). Some wear a green aiguillette (indicates a commander, also formerly used by the prison sector). The aiguillette is worn over the left shoulder, and attached to the left shirt pocket.
===Uniform===
[[Image:IDF Military Police Helmet.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Military police helmet, used before the modern peaked cap came into being]]
The ceremonial dress of the Military Police Corps is a regular uniform, with a white [[peaked cap]], a brassard with the letters ''[[Mem]]'' and ''[[Tzade|Tzadik]]'' on the left arm, and a white belt. This dress is also worn on duty, mostly by MPs preforming 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 language|Hebrew]], [[English language|English]] and [[Arabic language|Arabic]].
===Flag and emblem===
[[Image:Mpflag.svg|thumb|right|120px|Flag of the Military Police Corps. {{FIAV|001000}}]]
The military police flag is a standard 3:4 banner, divided into blue and red halves with a diagonal line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/il%5Emipol.html|title=Military Police Force - Branch of Service Flag (Israel)|accessdate=2007-09-28|date=2007-06-09|publisher=[[Flags of the World]]}}</ref>
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
*Purity of the eye
Interestingly, 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===
Recruits in the military police, as all IDF recruits, wear shoulder tags to indicate their platoon. Until 2006, The male ''Pashatz'' company wore single-colored bands (orange, red, yellow, green, black or blue), while the females (''Plugat Shotrot'') wore dual-colored bands (e.g. red and white, blue and green). The male company's symbol was a [[dragon]], while that of the female company was a [[lion|lioness']] head. As of February 2006, the ''Pashatz'' wears single-colored bands (both sexes), while ''Palmas'' (a checkpoint company) wears special yellow or green bands.
During professional training (course), soldiers wear dual-colored or decorated bands, depending on the course.
===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 ''hamatzon'''s 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.
<gallery>
Image:Imp.jpg|Headquarters, Yamlat, Military Police General Staff
Image:Northern Command.jpg|Northern Command (390)
Image:Central Command.jpg|Central Command (391)
Image:Southern Command.jpg|Southern Command (392)
Image:Metzah.jpg|Criminal Investigations Division
Image:Erez Battalion.jpg|Security examination sector (Erez Battalion)
Image:Maavarim.png|Security examination sector (Ta'oz Battalion)
Image:Prison Four Tag.jpg|Prisons Four and Six
</gallery>
==Vehicles==
[[Image:IDFEconoline.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ford E350 "Econoline"]]
[[Image:Harley_Davidson_IDF.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Harley Davidson]]
===[[Police car|Patrol cars]]===
*[[Renault Mégane]]
*[[Chevrolet Optra]] LS
*[[Subaru B4]]
===Motorcycles===
*[[Harley Davidson]] with [[Evolution engine]] (883)
===General purpose vans===
*[[Ford Transit]]
*[[Ford E-Series|Ford E350]] "Econoline"
===Prisoner transfer===
*[[Navistar International|International]] 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]]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 HaAmakim (Camp Shimshon)
*Military Police Haifa (Camp Jalame), Haifa
====Central command====
*Central Command (391) headquarters (Camp Anatot), near [[Jerusalem]]
*Military Police Dan (Camp [[Yaakov Dori]]), [[Tel HaShomer]]
*Military Police HaSharon (Camp Mota Gur), near Kfar Yona
*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 Nathan), [[Beersheba]]
*Military Police Beersheba (Camp Nathan), Beersheba
*Military Police Eilat (Camp Yotam), near [[Eilat]]
*Military Police Urim ([[Israeli Home Front Command|Home Front Command]] South Headquarters), near [[Ofaqim]]
===Units subordinate to the corps commander===
[[Image:Structure mp hq.png|thumb|right|350px|Structure of the Military Police Headquarters]]
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]] (prison sector)
*Erez Battalion (security examination sector)
*Ta'oz Battalion (security examination sector)
*[[Bahad]] 13 (Camp Mota Gur), [[Kfar Yona]] (training base)
*''Yamlat'' 8225 (Camp Yadin), Tzrifin (law enforcement sector)
====Erez Battalion====
*Headquarters (Camp Anatot), near Jerusalem
*[[Bitunya]] Checkpoint
*[[Hizma]] Checkpoint
*Hol Checkpoint
*[[Minharot]] Checkpoint
*[[Qalandia]] Checkpoint
*[[Sawahra]] Checkpoint
*[[Az-Za'ayyem]] Checkpoint
*[[Zeitim]] Checkpoint
====Ta'oz Battalion====
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
*Azon Checkpoint
*[[Bayt Iba]] Checkpoint
*[[Beit Porik]] Checkpoint
*Elyahu Checkpoint
*Eyal Checkpoint
*[[Gilbo'a]] Checkpoint
*[[Huwwara Checkpoint]]
*[[Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut|Maccabim]] Checkpoint
{{col-break}}
*[[Rantis]] Checkpoint
*[[Reihan]] Checkpoint
*[[Sha'ar Efraim]] Checkpoint
*Shomron Checkpoint
*[[Tapuah]] Checkpoint
*[[Tarqumiya]] Checkpoint
*[[Te'enim]] Checkpoint
{{col-end}}
===Corps headquarters===
The Chief Military Police Officer's headquarters ({{lang-he|מפקדת קצין משטרה צבאית ראשי}} ''Mifkedet Ktzin Mishtara Tzva'it Rashi'', abbr. '''''M'''e'''k'''a'''mtz'''a'''r''''', a.k.a. Unit 171) is located in Camp [[Ya'akov Dori]] ([[Tel HaShomer]]). 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 (lieutenant colonel)
*Computers sector (major)
*Communications sector (major)
*Logistics sector (major)
*[[Hasbara]] department (captain)
====Operations Division====
The Operations Division is headed by a [[colonel]] and comprises 3 main branches, which are further divided into specialized departments (the commander's rank is in parentheses):
*Law enforcement and operations branch (lietenant 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 (Metzah)===
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 within 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]]
**Central Unit ({{lang-he|ימ"ר מרכז}}, ''Yamar Merkaz'')
**Central Traffic Accidents Unit
*Metzah Dan (Camp Yadin), Tzrifin
*Metzah Jerusalem (Camp Anatot), [[Jerusalem]]
*Metzah Sharon VeShomron (Camp Mota Gur), [[Kfar Yona]]
*Metzah Yoav (Camp Bar-Lev), near [[Qiryat Mal'akhi]]
====Southern Command====
*Metzah Arava (Ovda Airforce Base), [[Arabah|Arava]]
*Metzah Be'er Sheva (Camp Nathan), [[Beersheba|Be'er Sheva]]
*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 originally located in [[Tzrifin]], was moved to a base near [[Kedumim]] and [[Nablus]] in 1969, and later moved again to Camp Mota Gur near [[Kfar Yona]] in 1995.
====Northern Command====
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]] - moved to Camp Filon (MP Golan Heights)
*Military Police Nesher, near [[Nesher]] - moved to Camp Jalame (MP Haifa)
*Military Police Tiberias, near [[Tiberias]] - moved to Camp Shimshon (MP HaAmakim)
Following [[Operation Peace for Galilee]], the corps also set up bases in [[Lebanon]] along with other [[Israeli Security Forces]] units. A base existed in [[Tyre]] and [[Sidon]], each.
====Central Command====
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]] 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 (Middle East)|Jordan valley]], called Military Police Jordan. It was dismantled due to lack of necessity.
====Southern Command====
Prior to the corps's re-organization following the [[Oslo Accords]], a military police base existed in the [[Gaza Strip]], called Military Police Gaza. It was dismantled as part of the handing over of the strip to the [[Palestinian National Authority|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).<ref name="MP book-combat">{{Cite book|author=Asher, Danny|month=April|year=2008|publisher=[[Israeli Ministry of Defense]]|title=Red and Blue - A Corps's Story 1948-2008|pages=pp. 103-106}} {{he icon}}</ref>
====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.'' [[Orchidaceae|orchid]], a.k.a 60th MP Company) and ''Sayfan'' (''lit.'' [[gladiolus]]), which were subordinate to the central command unit (391), were located in the [[Hebron]] area and the [[Judea and Samaria#Administrative sub-regions|Binyamin]] 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]]), after a merged with Military Police Erez.<ref name="MP book-combat" />
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 Prison|Ofer]] and [[Ktzi'ot Prison|Ktzi'ot]] prisons, and the [[Israel Border Police]]), 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]] and similar units were founded.<ref name="MP book-combat" />
==Leadership==
The Israeli Military Police is headed by the Chief Military Police Officer ({{lang-he|קצין משטרה צבאית ראשי}}, ''Ktzin Mishtara Tzva'it Rashi'', abbr. '''''K'''a'''mtz'''a'''r'''''), a title similar to the UK/US [[Provost Marshal]]. The Kamtzar 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 Verdi was promoted to this rank.
===List of Chief Military Police Officers===
[[Image:Ronny Benny.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Brig. Gen. Ronny Benny, the current head of the corps]]
*[[Lieutenant-Colonel]] [[Danny Magen]] (1948-50)
*[[Colonel]] [[Yosef Pressman]] (1950-51)
*Colonel [[Baruch Yitzhar]] (1951-54)
*Colonel [[Tzvi-Shimon Shfir]] (1954-60)
*Colonel [[Raphael Vardi]] (1960-62) - later [[Major-General]]
*Colonel [[Israel Karmi]] (1962-71)
*[[Brigadier General]] [[Zalman Vardi]] (1971-76)
*Brigadier General [[Benjamin Inbar]] (1976-1977)
*Brigadier General [[Baruch Arabel]] (1977-80)
*Brigadier General [[Chaim Granit]] (1980-82)
*Brigadier General [[Meir Geva]] (1982-85)
*Brigadier General [[Amir Elimelekh]] (1985-89)
*Brigadier General [[Shalom Ben Moshe]] (1989-91)
*Brigadier General [[Mordechai Birn]] ([[November 22]] [[1991]] - [[March 16]] [[1995]])
*Brigadier General [[Nir-Am Goldbroom]] ([[March 16]] [[1995]] - [[July 30]] [[1998]])
*Brigadier General [[Yoram Tzachor]] (1998-2002)
*Brigadier General [[Miki Bar'el]] (2002-05)
*Brigadier General [[Ronny Benny]] (2005-)
==Notable military policemen==
Below is a list of notable Israelis in non-military fields who served in the Military Police Corps.
*[[Nadav Hanefeld]], a basketball player
*[[Rami Hoiberger]], an actor and comedian
*[[Zion Marili]], a soccer player
*[[Shimon Mizrahi]], the chairman of [[Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club]]
*[[Hila Nahshon]], a television hostess and model
*[[Avraham Poraz]], a politician, [[Knesset]] member and government minister
*[[Yona Yahav]], a politician and Knesset member; mayor of [[Haifa]] since 2003
==Public image==
The military police has been suffering from a negative public image almost since its inception, mostly for reporting on soldiers for minor misconducts which cause their punishment, usually in the form of confinement to the soldier's base or to a military prison.
The corps's deterrence power has weakened however, together with the overall level of discipline in the IDF, although there is no proof of a link between the two. In 2007, military policemen (in all sectors) suffered 64 physical attacks - 53 on duty, and 11 off-duty. Jail instructors are generally assaulted off-duty, while the opposite goes for policemen in the law enforcement sector.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
*Harel, Zvi (1982) - ''IDF in Its Corps: Army and Security Encyclopedia (Vol. 16) - The Military Police''
==External links==
* [http://www.aka.idf.il/sites/home/default.asp?siteId=38978&catId=38978 Military police website] {{he icon}}
{{Law enforcement in Israel}}
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[[Category:Corps of Israel]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in Israel]]
[[Category:Military provosts|Israel Defense Forces]]
[[he:חיל המשטרה הצבאית]]