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A'man (אגף מודיעין), Israel's central, overarching military inteligence. Aman was created in 1950, when the 'Intelligence Department' was spun off from the IDF's General Staff (then, Agam: אג"ם). Aman is an independent service, on a par with the Infantry Corps, Navy Corps, and the Air Force Corps, with a staff of 7,000 personnel (estimate as of 1996). It is currently headed by Major General Aharon Zeevi-Farkash.

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The head of Aman engages in intelligence decision and policy-making at the same level as the heads of the Shin Bet and the Mossad: together, they form the three highest-ranking, co-equal heads of the Israeli Intelligence Community, and are focused on the military, domestic (including The Territories), and foreign fronts respectively. The head of Aman also serves concurrently as overseeing head of the following military departments

On 10 June 2005, the IDF's chief, Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, in a move viewed as surprising, announced that Major General Aharon Zeevi-Farkash will be replaced by Major General Amos Yidlin. Yidlin, currently the IDF's military attaché in Washington, was a combat pilot, former head of the Air Intelligence Squadron, and Halutz's deputy. The new appointment has already met the approval of Israel's Defence Minister, Shaul Mofaz, and will take effect in the next several few months.

The IDF's Intelligence Corps (חיל המודיעין), abbreviated as Haman and headed by a Brigadier General, has been detached from Aman since the Yom Kipur War, but remains under its jurisdiction. In April 2000, the newest IDF corps was founded (the IDF's fifth land corps), the Field Intelligence Corps (מוד"ש), abbreviated as Modash. It was designed to fulfil some of Aman's former combat intelligence functions, and is also headed by a Brigadier General. Unlike Haman, however, Modash falls under the jurisdiction of the GOC Army Headquarters (מז"י), abbreviated as Mazi, and currently headed by Major General Yiftach Ron-Tal (as of 10 June 2005, outgoing: to be replaced by Major General Benny Gantz, outgoing head of GOC Northern Command). In 1976, according to the i, some of Aman's principal roles consisted of:

1. Intelligence evaluation for security policy, military planning and 'fluid security policy,' and the dissemination of intelligence to IDF and governmental bodies.

2. Field security at the level of the General Staff (today, Matkal: מטכ"ל), and the training and operation of field security in general (all levels).

3. The operation of military censorship.

4. Direction and operation of the 'Collection Agencies.'

5. Drawing maps; providing the direction and supervision for the dissemination of maps.

6. The development of 'special measures' for intelligence work.

7. The development of intelligence doctrine in the realms of research, collection, and field security.

8. Staff responsibility for military attachés overseas.

1948-1949 — Isser Be'eri

1949-1950 — Colonel Chaim Herzog

1950-1955 — Colonel Binyamin Gibli

1955-1959 — Major General Yehoshafat Harkabi

1959-1962 — Major General Chaim Herzog

1962-1963 — Major General Meir Amit

1964-1972 — Major General Aharon Yariv

1972-1974 — Major General Eli Zeira

1974-1978 — Major General Shlomo Gazit

1979-1983 — Major General Yehoshua Saguy

1983-1985 — Major General Ehud Barak

1986-1991 — Major General Amnon Lipkin-Shahak

1991-1995 — Major General Uri Saguy

1995-1998 — Major General Moshe Ya'alon

1998-2002 — Major General Amos Malka

2002-2005 — Major General Aharon Zeevi-Farkash (outgoing)

2005-Present – Major General Amos Yidlin (recent nomination)

"Israeli Intelligence in the 1967 War," By Doron Geller, JUICE, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Education Dept."Israeli Intelligence and the Yom Kippur War of 1973," By Doron Geller, JUICE, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Education Dept.