Meitav

Meitav is an Israel Defense Forces unit that manages much of the administrative and logistical pathway through which Israeli citizens enter military service. Its responsibilities begin before enlistment, with recruitment administration, initial screening, medical examinations, interviews, testing, and the assignment of recruits to military corps or basic-training bases. The unit also handles the initial issue of basic equipment and supports the discharge of soldiers at the end of their service. The unit was established in May 2006 through the merger of two previously separate organizations: Bakum, the reception and sorting base responsible for receiving and processing recruits, and Minhag, the military recruitment administration. The merger brought together recruitment-management and induction functions under a single organization. Meitav is therefore not a consumer-facing commercial brand, but an institutional service identity used in connection with the IDF's recruitment and personnel-processing system. Meitav is headquartered at the Tel HaShomer military base. It oversees five regional recruitment offices located in Tel HaShomer, Beersheba, Tiberias, Haifa, and Jerusalem. These offices support the recruitment process, including the Tzav Rishon initial assessment stage, medical evaluations, personal interviews, aptitude and other tests, and subsequent classification for military service. Through this network, Meitav serves prospective recruits across Israel rather than operating in commercial markets. The unit's institutional predecessors date to the early years of the IDF. At the founding of the army, the induction organization was known as Kelet and operated under the manpower branch of the Ministry of Defense. Kelet was based in Tzrifin, while a separate sorting facility operated from the Kiryat Meir base in Tel Aviv. During the 1950s, the induction and sorting functions were combined into Bakum, which later moved to Tel HaShomer. In 1966, Bakum's jurisdiction transferred from the Ministry of Defense to the IDF. Meitav has been a substantial organizational component of the IDF. In 2010, it was reported as the army's third-largest unit, with 1,026 soldiers. The unit's public-facing role is primarily administrative: it provides information and manages procedures for candidates and soldiers while translating recruitment decisions into placements within the wider military structure. As of March 2023, its commander was Colonel Alon Matzliah.

Meitav's history is rooted in the IDF's early recruitment and personnel organizations. When the IDF was established, the induction organization was called Kelet. It operated under the manpower branch of the Ministry of Defense and was based at Tzrifin. At that time, the unit responsible for bringing recruits into the military was separate from the sorting organization, which was located at the Kiryat Meir base in Tel Aviv. During the 1950s, these two functions were consolidated into Bakum, an acronym derived from the Hebrew name for the reception and sorting base. Bakum became responsible for receiving new recruits, conducting their initial processing, and directing them toward suitable military placements. After the consolidation, the organization moved to Tel HaShomer, which remains associated with Meitav's headquarters and recruitment activity. A significant institutional change occurred in 1966, when responsibility for Bakum moved from the Ministry of Defense to the IDF. This transfer integrated the recruitment and induction function more directly into the army's own personnel system. In May 2006, Bakum was merged with Minhag, the military recruitment administration. The resulting organization was named Meitav. The merger combined the practical induction and sorting functions of Bakum with the broader recruitment-management responsibilities of Minhag. Meitav subsequently became the IDF organization responsible for coordinating the recruitment pipeline, from pre-enlistment assessments and administrative processing through placement, initial equipment distribution, and eventual discharge procedures. Meitav operates through a network of five regional recruitment offices: Tel HaShomer, Beersheba, Tiberias, Haifa, and Jerusalem. These offices manage important stages of the recruitment process, including the Tzav Rishon initial assessment, medical examinations, interviews, and testing. The results of these stages inform the classification and allocation of recruits to military corps and basic-training locations. The unit has also been notable for its scale. In 2010, Meitav was identified as the third-largest IDF unit, with 1,026 soldiers. Its institutional role places it at the main interface between Israeli recruits and the military establishment. Rather than functioning as a combat formation or a commercial service provider, it acts as a centralized administrative and operational mechanism for bringing new personnel into the IDF and managing key personnel transitions. In March 2023, Colonel Alon Matzliah was identified as its commander.

• 2010

  Reported as the IDF's third-largest unit

  [1]Meitav (military unit)en.wikipedia.org

  Meitav was reported to have 1,026 soldiers and to rank as the third-largest unit in the IDF.

• 2006

  Meitav established

  [1]Meitav (military unit)en.wikipedia.org

  Bakum and Minhag, the military recruitment administration, were merged in May 2006 to create Meitav.

• 1966

  Transfer to IDF jurisdiction

  [1]Meitav (military unit)en.wikipedia.org

  Bakum's administrative jurisdiction transferred from the Ministry of Defense to the Israel Defense Forces.

• 1950

  Induction and sorting functions consolidated

  [1]Meitav (military unit)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1950s, the separate induction and sorting organizations were merged into Bakum, which later moved to Tel HaShomer.

• Creation of Kelet

  [1]Meitav (military unit)en.wikipedia.org

  The early IDF induction organization was known as Kelet and operated under the manpower branch of the Ministry of Defense from Tzrifin.

A centralized IDF recruitment and personnel-processing organization serving prospective recruits and soldiers throughout Israel.

Product categories. food

1. 1Meitav (military unit)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Israel Defense Forces recruitment websitemitgaisim.idf.il