Israel Border Police
The Israel Border Police (Hebrew: מִשְׁמַר הַגְּבוּל, romanized: Mišmar Ha-Gvul) is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (מג"ב), meaning border guard; its members are colloquially known as magavnikim (מג"בניקים; singular magavnik). "Border Guard" is often used as the official name of the Israel Border Police in English. While its main task is securing Israel's borders, it has also been deployed to assist the Israel Defense Forces, and for counter-terrorism and law enforcement operations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Jerusalem.
| Israel Border Police מִשְׁמַר הַגְּבוּל Mišmar Ha-Gvul | |
|---|---|
Emblem of Magav | |
Flag of Israel Border Police | |
| Common name | Magav |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1953 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Employees | ≈8,000 soldiers and officers |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Israel |
| Operations jurisdiction | Israel |
| Governing body | Israel Police |
| General nature | |
| Specialist jurisdiction |
|
| Website | |
| www.police.gov.il | |
The Israeli Border Police is known to include many soldiers from minority backgrounds, being a particularly popular choice for Druze recruits, and also including many soldiers from Circassian, Arab Christian, and Bedouin backgrounds.