Israel Shochat was a founder of and a key figure in Bar-Giora and Hashomer, two of the precursors of the Israel Defense Forces.

Hashomer was a Jewish defense organization in Palestine founded in April 1909. It was an outgrowth of the Bar-Giora group and was disbanded after the founding of the Haganah in 1920. Hashomer was responsible for guarding Jewish settlements in the Yishuv, freeing Jewish communities from dependence upon foreign consulates and Arab watchmen for their security. It was headed by a committee of three: Israel Shochat, Israel Giladi and Mendel Portugali.