Israelis call it "defense forces" instead of "martial arts"?

I think Israelis call their armed forces (such as army) "defense forces."

Is that doublespeak -- "the best offense is a good defense" -- or do they really believe in no first strikes?

I think that's just the vernacular of the region in current times. Many countries call their military "defense forces" instead of "armed forces." Things change with time too. When the U.S. was founded, we had a Secretary of War. After a while, the position was changed to Secretary of Defense. I think they do convey two different (but obviously related) messages. Go figure.

It makes sense. It's a basic human right to defend oneself. It is not a human right to make war.