Israeli Home Front
Line of Activity (LOA)

The Home Front Command is an Israeli Defense Forces regional command, created in February 1992 in response to the lessons of the Gulf War, which centers of civilian population faced significant threat. The command is responsible for civil defense: preparing the civilian population for a conflict or disaster, assisting the population during the crisis, and contributing to post-crisis reconstruction. Home Front Command also operates search-and-rescue missions in Israel and worldwide, whether from terror attacks or natural disasters. For example, In 2021, Home Front Command responded and sent a search and rescue team to Florida to assist in rescue efforts associated with the Surfside condominium building collapse.

New York has a multitude of cultural, economic, and academic ties to Israel, the deep relationship between New York State and the State of Israel has a very long history. As the American state with the largest Jewish population, there is great interest and concern in New York regarding developments which impact on Israel’s safety, security, and viability. The New York National Guard’s relationship with Home Front Command was initiated in 2006 and has grown from there. The New York National Guard’s official relationship with Home Front Command is a Line of Activity focused on Civil Support Operations through the National Guard Bureau. The New York National Guard and Home Front Command formalized the relationship in 2019 with a bilateral security cooperation agreement. Recently, the New York National Guard and Home Front Command collaborated and exchanged best practices and other information in the worldwide effort to combat COVID-19. NY’s relationship with Home Front Command is a very high priority for both parties, as best summed up by retired Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, then chief of the National Guard Bureau, who said in 2010: “We greatly value this cooperation. Our exchange of ideas and information with the Home Front Command is of substantial benefit to the National Guard in exercising its responsibilities for homeland defense.”