As 2017 draws to a close, the Middle East is witnessing the convergence of several important developments that will potentially have a broad impact on Israeli national security. The civil war in Syria is subsiding through a process dominated by Russia, Iran, and Turkey – which poses the danger that Israel’s interests will not be taken into account in the deliberations and steps toward an agreement to stabilize the arena. The jihadist territorial Islamic State established in Iraq and Syria has been obliterated, although the underlying...
There has reportedly been a significant decline in motivation to enlist in IDF combat units. Advances in technology and their wide ranging (and some would say excessive) use by the IDF have shifted the center of gravity in recruitment from the combat field units to the Special Forces, Flight and Naval Academies, technological units, and Military Intelligence directorate. To remedy the problem, the IDF must build a holistic perception that addresses a variety of fundamental issues, including: a balanced division of high quality...
According to IDF statistics, there has been a steady decline among new soldiers inducted for mandatory service in motivation to serve in “maneuvering units” – among them, armored corps, combat engineering, and artillery – that maneuver across enemy lines. In an effort to address the problem, the IDF has decided to offer greater compensation to these fighters. According to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, while technology and intelligence units are critical, “the fighters are the most important...
The controversies surrounding the Israeli government’s recent decisions concerning the Western Wall and a bill on conversion underscore key divides in Israeli-Diaspora relations. The ensuing crisis took many Israeli political leaders by surprise, which itself is evidence of a deep disconnect between Israeli leaders attuned to Israeli voters, and the attitudes of American Jewish leaders and activists. Anyone who spends time these days in American Jewish communities cannot fail to note the anger and feelings of personal betrayal. It is...
Israel’s eleventh annual national emergency exercise was held in the second week of June 2017. All the emergency agencies, including the local authorities, public service agencies, and emergency and rescue organizations, held a joint exercise to test their response to an earthquake. Advanced preparations for emergency situations such as earthquakes are essential in order to foster a culture of preparedness, which requires strong civilian involvement. At the same time, one of the difficult challenges faced by the organizers of the...
Recent weeks have witnessed a change in the public position on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) among senior IDF officers, reflecting sharp criticism of UNIFIL (in)action vis-à-vis Hezbollah. UNIFIL forces have successfully performed their mission of reducing friction between the IDF and Lebanon by means of the coordination and liaison mechanism, thereby contributing to the preservation of calm and preventing unintended escalation. At the same time, UNIFIL has consistently refrained from dealing with the most...
The IDF does not hide the fact that it is preparing for war in Lebanon. These preparations take the form of learning and applying the lessons of the Second Lebanon War while incorporating the modifications required in light of changes in the region’s strategic reality, especially in Israel’s northern theater. The IDF Strategy, published in 2015, which serves as the compass for military force buildup and operation, notes that a war in Lebanon is one of the reference scenarios in IDF preparations. As defined, the IDF required...
This essay deals with Hezbollah’s concept of deterrence against Israel as it developed over the ten years since the Second Lebanon War. The essay looks at the most important speeches by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah during this period to examine the evolution and development of the concept of deterrence at four points in time that reflect Hezbollah’s internal and regional milieu (2000, 2006, 2008, and 2011). Over the years, Nasrallah has frequently utilized the media to deliver his messages and promote the...
The 2006 Second Lebanon War represents a turning point in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).1 This was the first war in history that recorded more unmanned flight hours than manned fighter aircraft flight hours, and that featured sustained UAV use without breaks in situational awareness. Since that war, Israel has continued to develop and absorb additional UAVs, and has used them extensively in operations over the last decade. At the same time, Hezbollah too – which failed in its few attempts to attack Israel with...
The Second Lebanon War is anchored in Israel’s collective memory as a military failure. The media played a significant role in this war, and there were those who claimed that the media had a large part in painting the war as a failure. Over time, political-security discourse has come to understand that the ten years of quiet on the northern border indicate more favorable outcomes of the war than the impressions formed in August 2006. Accordingly, it is important to assess the role of the media in shaping the discourse on the war over...
The nature of IDF combat in the security zone in southern Lebanon imposed many restraints on the regular army’s ground forces and their ability to operate in a way reflecting the IDF’s traditional doctrine of combined ground warfare. The reasons for these limitations are beyond the scope of this article; suffice it to mention the anachronistic activity in the security zone and the trouble the IDF encountered in executing attacks on short notice and with rushed battle procedures. The retreat from southern Lebanon and the war on...
The outbreak of war in July 2006 was as surprising for the United States as it was for Israel. In addition to the significance for Israel, the results were important for the Bush administration, as they changed the American view of the Israeli-Palestinian situation and destroyed the relationship between Prime Minister Olmert and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
