In public health terms, Israel has met most of the objectives required at this phase to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country, but at the cost of severe damage to the economy. Therefore, this framework recommends that after the Passover holiday, the country begin to transition to the next phase: toward resuming economic activity, taking a gradual and differential approach – restarting prioritized activity of vital economic branches, while taking a calculated risk of a limited rise in the spread of the virus. Economic...
On March 31, 2020, a war game was held at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) simulating a cabinet session about the coronavirus crisis, attended by cabinet ministers, advisers, and experts (played by INSS researchers and other participants with relevant expertise). The war game, led by Brig. Gen. (ret.) Itai Brun and conducted through Zoom, considered Israeli policy on the coronavirus crisis and, in particular, strategic options for exiting the lockdown after Passover. The war game was part of the Institute’s...
A comparative analysis enables us to examine different approaches to the challenges posed by the corona pandemic around the world. Most countries have adopted a similar coping strategy, based on three components: the first is a lockdown policy (to varying degrees), in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus and avoid overloading the health system; the second is the improvement of preparedness and readiness in health systems; and the third is a broad economic aid package in response to the sudden economic shutdown and the deep...
The number of people in Israel infected with the coronavirus continues to rise, a large part of the economy is shut down, and the state is edging closer to a full lockdown. This article compares the strategy adopted by the Israeli government with an alternative strategy proposed by critics. Above all, the political echelon, which demands from the people sacrifice at times of crisis and war, must rise above political disputes and unite to enable Israel to handle the crisis in the best way possible. In this context, it is necessary to...
The spread of the coronavirus is a national security crisis for Israel that demands a multidisciplinary strategy to confront the crisis. It requires the appointment of a campaign operator to govern public health measures, secure economic and societal strength, and prepare for the various consequences of the epidemic. As part of the strategic process, we recommend a core idea that is based on a phased approach to the crisis. Stage 1, the current stage, involves a lockdown in order to control the rate of morbidity and buy time so that...
The coronavirus outbreak has been accompanied by rumors and fake news that aim to increase fear about the pandemic or to assign blame for its spread. The rumors are promoted by states with an interest in hiding their domestic situations or diverting attention from their handling of the issue, by ingenuous civilians, and by conspiracy theorists and the media, which repeat some of the lies. Over time there is a greater awareness of the dissemination of baseless or biased information, and a greater need to address the phenomenon. This...
Israeli society in 2019 was characterized first and foremost by the broad implications of the ongoing political crisis, following two rounds of national elections and preparations for the third round in March 2020. This electoral impasse, unprecedented in Israel, involved not only the inability to form a coalition government, but also restricted the normal performance of government offices and the ability to make decisions on critical issues. Beyond this, the political stalemate exposed a series of profound deficiencies within...
At the core of the strategic assessment for 2020 stands the tension between Israel’s evident strength and its success in various fields, and the possibility that this positive state of affairs will prove temporary and fragile. This tension stems from a series of factors that in the coming year could lead to a large-scale conflict and even to war, and involves Israel’s approach to a series of substantive national security challenges: Iran’s increasing audacity – on the nuclear issue, in its efforts at force buildup in Syria and other...
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi stated in a recent public speech that “national resilience is…a positive multiplier for the IDF and a negative multiplier, when the IDF is strong and steadfast, for our enemies…When they realize that the people here understand what is expected from them…this has enormous significance…for the IDF…[and as a phenomenon] that will lessen the determination of the enemy.” The question, then, is how the State of Israel ensures that the civilian front continues to function as reasonably as possible...
During the two days of fighting (November 12-13, 2019), Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched 450 projectiles at Israel, some of them toward the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. The damage caused to the home front was minimal, and the military and civilian apparatuses functioned reasonably well. However, casting this recent round as an Israeli success as far as the level of robustness of the home front is misleading. It is liable to cause complacency that might have an adverse effect on the motivation to improve the civil preparedness for a...
Meir Elran | Carmit Padan | Sasson Hadad | Shmuel Even
What role do civil society agents play in diplomatic processes in an era defined by increasing civil power? The current paper analyzes civil society action in the UN Human Rights Council vis-à-vis Israel during 2016 as a case study to assess civil society action conducted by activists who venture into diplomatic processes once reserved solely for professionally trained, official diplomats. The paper’s central claims are that official players and civil society actors share the same spheres of activity, and that alongside any military...
The State Comptroller’s Office is the only institution outside of the defense establishment that conducts comprehensive and independent audits of security matters; hence its importance to national security. In the view of newly-appointed State Comptroller and Ombudsman Matanyahu Englman, an audit is meant to be a constructive process that addresses issues of national value; the audit process is a tool that supports the government and prime minister; audits that are liable to affect real-time decision making should be avoided;...
