On January 16, 2015, Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced her decision to open a preliminary examination of the situation in “Palestine.” The significance of this decision should not be underestimated, though at the same time this is not a surprise. Once the position was adopted that “Palestine” is a state that can join the Rome Statute, it was clear that a Palestinian request to carry out an investigation of the events would be met. Israel should respond calmly and determine the correct...
The program on Technology Forecasting and Policy Implications, established at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in 2012, was designed to examine and demonstrate the ability to combine long term technology forecasting with the process of policy formulation. The ability to forecast the likely main capabilities technology of twenty years hence has thus far not been recognized as a policymaking tool, either on a national level or within the defense establishment. The main premise underlying this INSS research program is...
Trends that marked the Middle East in preceding years that were joined in 2014 by new developments are analyzed in this volume, as well as the response of regional and international actors to these processes of change. To date, no political or military response has been found to contain the threat inherent in the crises occupying the regional and international communities in recent years, let alone resolve them. It is therefore likely that these crises will maintain their central position on the international agenda both during 2015...
In discussions held by the government and the Knesset about the defense budgets for 2014 and 2015, the traditional wrangling between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance went up a notch. “Wrangling” is a situation of a major lack of agreement between the sides – on the boundaries of the discussion, the powers of the parties, the concepts involved, and the contents of the discussion. The dispute regarding the defense budget reached a new level when in May 2014, the IDF was forced to stop the annual training exercises of...
In 2014 the Israeli economy was on a sound, if unexceptional track, despite some limited turbulence. No significant changes in government policy took place, although important questions surfaced at the end of the year about the future fiscal path in general, and about the defense budget in particular. Moreover, during Operation Protective Edge, some long term issues came to the fore. What follows is a survey of the key economic developments in 2014, with a focus on the various issues and upsets from the perspective of the economy and...
In Israel, there is a consensus on the value of all knowledge generated in the defense establishment and its contribution to the economy. But in the State Comptroller’s report of March 2014, the management of intellectual property (IP) at the Ministry of Defense was described as an ongoing fiasco, with the blame ascribed to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance. This essay seeks to contribute to the discourse on remedying the flaws and suggest some organizing principles in the management of IP, while considering...
The Harpaz Affair has revealed one of the worst crises in the history of the relations between the political and military echelons in Israel. Despite the great interest in the affair, one crucial aspect of the relations between then-Minister of Defense Ehud Barak and then-IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has been ignored: the battle between the two over the “general headquarters” section of the IDF Supreme Command orders, which sets forth the status of the Defense Minister vis-à-vis the IDF Chief of Staff and reflects who is head of...
With their respective processes of political evolution and military buildup, Hizbollah and Hamas have gradually assumed semi-state governmental characteristics. Particularly given the weakening of the regular armies in the region in recent years, they now represent the two main immediate threats to Israel. In the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge, therefore, Israel would do well to consider the significance of the recent round of fighting on a possible future campaign against Hizbollah. In other words, at issue is what Hizbollah...
The blockade of the Gaza Strip, labeled by the Palestinians as a “siege,” is ostensibly one of the fundamental reasons behind Hamas’ barrage of rockets that led to Operation Protective Edge. Yet while the Palestinians claim that Israel’s purpose in imposing the “siege” is to overpower Gaza economically, this charge has no basis in reality. Rather, the terrorism emanating from the Gaza Strip is the root cause of Gaza’s abject economic state, and until it is eradicated from the area, the prospects for economic growth and development...
The indiscriminate rocket and missile fire at cities in Israel, the discovery of tunnels posing a grave threat to the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip, the fact that the Israeli government showed restraint and repeated willingness to accept a ceasefire in the middle of the conflict, and the broad support for Israel in both the Congress and among US public opinion led the Obama administration to support steadfastly, continuously, and unequivocally Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. At the same time, the...
Hamas’ flagrant violation of the ceasefire on August 1, 2014 enabled Israel to change its strategic position and choose an alternative that, at least in the short term, places Hamas in a difficult strategic situation. Israel regained international legitimacy for its actions; Hamas was again cast as a terrorist organization lacking all credibility that for the sixth time violated a ceasefire that Egypt and the international community initiated and Israel accepted. Changing strategic course, Israel decided to deny Hamas veto power...
The development and deployment of the Iron Dome system during Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012 and Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, demonstrated impressive technological capabilities. In addition, it indicated the need for an increased professionalization among the personnel engaged in emergency management, and the creation of a structured professional identity transcending organizational affiliation. Government Decision 1661 transferred the powers previously held by Israel’s Ministry of Home Front Defense...
