<human>:  When did the Israeli army become a professional army?
<bot>: The Israeli army became a professional army in 1948. This was after the British Mandate over Palestine ended, and the UN voted to partition the land into two states: one Jewish and one Arab. The Arab states refused to accept the UN partition plan, and they attacked Israel on May 15, 1948. The Israeli army fought back and pushed the Arab armies out of the country. The Israeli army is still a professional army today, and it is the only army in the Middle East that has never had to surrender or go on the defensive.