Military Police Corps (Israel)

Founding and initial organization '' (Ghaffirs)—special policemen, 1937 The IDF's Military Police Corps traces its roots to a Jewish youth paramilitary organization called Notrim, founded in 1936. 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. 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. The force also aided Holocaust survivors in the liberated Nazi concentration camps. 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. After the completion of Operation Dekel, the military police was sent to Nazareth to enforce martial law, and worked directly under the military governor. 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 in the south and Atlit 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, and near kibbutz Magen. In all, approximately 5,500-6,000 Egyptian POWs were held in Israel during and after the war. 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, 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 military police was involved in various ways in Operation Peace for Galilee, 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 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. ==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 one of the most difficult types of basic training that is considered non-combat. Recruits must 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 in February 2006 the male and female recruits form one training company. Each platoon has recruits of only one sex. Commanders are of both sexes. Another company 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 (, 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. Bahad 13 was established in Tzrifin 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" (, 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 (, Kurs Bilush) • Investigations course (, Kurs Hokrim), with the school for military law • Jail instructors course (, ''Kurs Madrikhei Klu'im'') • Law enforcement and traffic course (, ''Kurs Shitur VeTa'avura'') • Squad commanders course (, 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 (, Hakhana LeKtzuna) • Corps officers' course completion (, Hashlama Heilit) • Intelligence gathering course (, ''Kurs Rakazei Modi'in'') • Military Police Corps NCO course (, ''Kurs Mashakei Heil HaMishtara HaTzva'it''), a.k.a. Sergeants' course (, Kurs Samalim) • Senior discipline NCO course (, ''Kurs Nagadei Mishma'at'') • Company commanders' course (, 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 (, ''Kurs Ko'ah Me'a''), including Lotar course • Palestinian detainee jailors' course (, Kurs Metaplei Atzurei HaShtahim) The following course was intended for majors. It has since been replaced by the course in human resources in Bahad 11. • Senior company commanders' course (, Kurs Mefakdei Pluga Bkhirim) ==Sectors==

patrol car 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 above). Law enforcement and traffic The law enforcement and traffic (''Shitur VeTa'avura'') sector is responsible for enforcing the discipline, dress code, and proper driving by IDF soldiers. Soldiers in this unit often wear a peaked cap instead of the standard blue beret. General law enforcement missions and other missions undertaken by policemen in this sector include: • Traffic supervision patrol (, ''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 (, Mikhmonet Bdikat Rekhavim, abbr. Mabar) – military policemen check drivers' licenses and permissions for use of military vehicles. • Discipline supervision (, ''Piku'ah Mishma'at, abbr. Pei-Mem'') – military policemen check the appearance of the soldiers. • Operation Appearance (, 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 (, Mivtza Derekh Eretz). This was put on hold in 2005 but resumed in 2010. • Operation Iron Triangle (, 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 (, 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 (, Mad Mehirut Leizer, abbr. Mamlez) inspection – military policemen set up speed traps 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. • Working with the National Traffic Police to catch military vehicles for misconduct. • Transfer and guarding of injured enemies (, Shmirat Faha) – done in conjunction with the Israel Border Police, 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 guards, and is considered the Chief Military Police Officer's personal unit. Another mission which it specializes in are dummy kidnappings, called Operation Emulate/Dummy ( 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). 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, 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 (, ''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 (, 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 (, 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 (, ''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. Intelligence and detection Intelligence and detection (, ''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 (, Mishteret Giyus''), a small unit of the corps, founded in 1948. In military prisons, intelligence collectors (, ''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 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 (, ''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 checkpoints (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 and 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 ( ''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. 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 (, 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 (, ''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 (, ''Plugat Mishtara Tzva'it), and the POW transfer and guarding company, called Frontal POW Company (, 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 (, ''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. • 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), Tel HaShomer Hospital (Ramat Gan/Tel HaShomer) or Barzilai Hospital (Ashkelon). ==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. It is always on a blue and red background (See Shoulder insignia below). Most military policemenwear a blue and red aiguillette, which has two forms – vertical lines for law enforcement and deserter trappers, horizontal lines for security examinators, and mixed thread for investigations, intelligence and detection. Some wear a green aiguillette, indicating 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 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 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. ==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, not used anymore • Ford Mondeo, not used anymore • Kia Rio 2012, not used anymore • Hyundai i35 Elantra 2013 (used by the Yamlat unit only) • Hyundai i25 2017 • Kia Ceed 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 with an Evolution engine (883) General-purpose vans • Ford Transit • Ford E350 "Econoline" • Chevrolet Savana Prisoner transfer • 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 Alufim (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 • Military Police Dan (Camp Yaakov Dori), Tel HaShomer • 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), 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 (prison sector) • Erez Battalion (security examination sector) • Ta'oz Battalion (security examination sector) • Bahad 13 (Camp Ariel Sharon), near Beersheba (training base) • Yamlat 8225 (Camp Mota Gur), Kfar Yona (law enforcement sector) Corps headquarters The Chief Military Police Officer's headquarters (, ''Mifkedet Ktzin Mishtara Tzva'it Rashi, abbr. Mekamtzar'', 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 (major) • Computers sector (major) • Communications sector (major) • Logistics sector (major) • Hasbara department (major) 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 (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 • Central Unit (, 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), Arava • Metzah Be'er Sheva (Camp Nathan), 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 founded in Tzrifin 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 – 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. 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, 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, 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), which were subordinate to the central command unit (391), were located in the Hebron area and the 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. 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), 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. ==Leadership==

The Military Police Corps is headed by the Chief Military Police Officer (, ''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 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, activist, politician and Knesset member • Avraham Poraz, politician, Knesset member and government minister • Yona Yahav, politician and Knesset member; mayor of Haifa since 2003 ==References==