In January 2020, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) hosted its 13th Annual International Conference. Entitled “Strategic Assessment for Israel: A Look at the Coming Decade,” the conference included discussions, simulations, and lectures on strategic issues important to Israel’s national security. The conference was attended by decision makers, opinion leaders, and leading researchers from Israel and abroad. We invite you to read the digital version of the booklet that summarizes the conference...
A survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) paints a complex picture regarding Israeli societal resilience following two months of a successful response to the coronavirus: the significant public health accomplishment has exacted a heavy price on the economy and society. The picture indicates a growing sense of stress, loneliness, and above all, profound anxiety concerning the implications of the economic situation. At the same time, it seems that a large majority of Israelis have adapted rapidly to the serious...
The global, regional, and internal implications of the coronavirus are still not fully clear, but Israel’s 35th government will have no 100-day grace period. It must quickly restore the economy to full activity, despite the presence of the virus and the possibility of a renewed outbreak. On the security level, all the regimes in the Middle East are busy with the pandemic and internal affairs, and will most likely seek to avoid escalation in conflicts with Israel. At the same time, the risk of unplanned escalation (in Syria,...
A team of researchers from the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) have conducted a study on how the IDF – particularly through the Home Front Command – could best use its various capacities to assist in the struggle against the coronavirus. The IDF should serve as a support system to reinforce and supplement civilian agencies, but it should not be drawn into the overall management of the crisis or specific economic and social tasks that exceed its authority, in order to avoid...
This article focuses on the idea, if not the intention, to maximize what is perceived as a window of opportunity to advance the application of Israeli sovereignty to the territories in the West Bank. For an interest group that aspires to this goal, and especially for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there is a sense that under the current circumstances, Israel has an unprecedented opportunity that it will not have again in the near future to apply Israeli sovereignty to settlement areas. This window of opportunity has emerged in...
On Thursday, April 23, 2020, INSS conducted a second simulation of a “Corona Cabinet.” The discussion dealt with the exit strategy from the crisis and the steps that should be taken to return Israel’s economy and society to their routine. The principal insights that emerged from the simulation include the need to integrate management of the healthcare, economic, and social risks; an understanding of how the “Corona Cabinet” should operate and the need to establish a professional “corona staff”; the importance of differentiation as an...
Israel began easing its lockdown and moving into the next phase of living in the presence of the coronavirus, which will continue in different ways and intensities until a vaccine is found or until the virus disappears. While major emphasis is currently placed on the medical and economic tracks, the social dimension is also a key element that must be addressed. Although it is difficult to gauge, the social curve is no less and perhaps even more critical in managing the crisis over the long term. This article presents the importance...
There has been a significant rise in COVID-19 infection rates in Arab communities in Israel, along with increasing awareness of the challenges of the pandemic and a higher level of adherence to Ministry of Health regulations, which followed widespread distribution of Arabic-language explanatory materials. The month of Ramadan, which is commonly celebrated with large public gatherings, demands sharpened awareness and particular preparations regarding information dissemination, enforcement of health regulations, and urgent provision of...
What will the world look like one year from now, and how will the corona pandemic affect the Middle East? This article presents four possible scenarios: “continuation,” in which following a temporary interruption of a few months, there is a resumption of familiar global and regional trends from the pre-corona era; “revolution,” in which there is a fundamental change in the patterns that characterized life before the crisis and the world prepares for a new illiberal world order led by China; “breakdown,” in which all global actors...
The proposed strategies for exiting the coronavirus crisis have urged the continued isolation of at-risk population groups, including people aged 65-70 and older. The main argument raised is protection of “the elderly,” as the virus is particularly dangerous for this sector. Another argument addresses the threat to the healthcare system, should it be overloaded with elderly patients in serious condition. However, there are weighty considerations that counter the arguments for continued isolation of senior citizens. For the elderly...
The coronavirus is not about to vanish from our lives, so the quest for a one-shot silver bullet in the form of an “exit strategy” is dangerously misguided. Instead, we will have to learn to manage our lives as individuals, families, and workers under the constraints of the coronavirus; the same applies to running the country, the economy, and other aspects of society. We therefore must build an organizational structure for the sustained management of the crisis, which will include a wide range of governmental, civic, and...
A survey of the involvement of democratic nations’ militaries in the anti-coronavirus campaign identifies five, escalating levels of action: (A) logistical and medical support for agencies serving civilians; (B) transfer of military supplies and equipment to civilian networks; (C) assistance to police forces in maintaining order; (D) assumption of operative responsibility for the management of individual civilian networks; (E) direct management of the entire system of governance. The IDF is required to assist the country’s civilians...
