Lehakat Pikud Merkaz, also known as Lehakat Pikud HaMerkaz, is the military musical ensemble of the Central Command of the Israel Defense Forces. Established in 1953 at the request of Central Command commander Tzvi Ayalon, the band has gone through several incarnations and was disbanded and reestablished multiple times. It enjoyed particular success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, following the Six-Day War. Its repertoire includes songs that have become part of Israeli culture, while former members have pursued careers in music, acting, entertainment, and songwriting. Among its early productions was One Monkey’s Paw (1954), which introduced "Sycamore Garden," later recorded by Rika Zaraï. The band released its first album, Listen, Buddy!, in the late 1950s and was reestablished in 1990 after the arrest of some of its members in 1989.
