The Institute for National Security Studies conducted a special survey[1] aiming to examine public opinion in light of the Chief of Staff's resignation. Click here to download the complete survey data Key Findings In this survey, 74% of respondents believe that the resignation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi does not signify the end of the war. In contrast, only 12% think otherwise, while 14% answered “Don’t know.”
Regarding the chief of staff’s resignation letter, in which he stated that...
Beyond the immediate risk of releasing terrorists from Israeli prisons and allowing residents and Hamas militants to return to northern Gaza, the State of Israel is now facing a weighty challenge: preventing Hamas from rebuilding its strength amidst the destruction in Gaza during the current ceasefire. Israel must develop a robust contingency plan that will help mitigate risks if the ceasefire collapses or the hostage release plan is not fully implemented.
Michael Walzer, the doyen of just war theory, has argued in a New York Times opinion piece that Israel’s “pager attack” on thousands of Hezbollah operatives throughout Lebanon was “an act of terrorism,” since it failed to respect “the distinction between combatants and civilians” crucial to the rules of just war. This is strange, because this attack was, as a matter of fact, one of the most “targeted” that a state can possibly launch against a terrorist or guerilla force operating amongst a civilian population. With greater precision...
A series of operational successes provides Israel with the ideal opportunity to closely consider its exit strategy. Now, with these achievements accumulating, it is the right time to examine the question of ending the military campaign and securing its diplomatic benefits to improve Israel’s national security in every respect.
In recent weeks, Israel has achieved a series of successes, particularly on the northern front and in the Gaza Strip. Some of these achievements can be attributed to chance, such as the elimination of Hamas...
The Red Sea region has drawn increasing attention in light of the Houthi attacks and the damage they have caused to the freedom of global shipping in general and to Israel in particular. This is in addition to the impact of other escalating conflicts in the region, in which Israel is not directly involved, such as those in Sudan and Somalia. The intensification of these conflicts highlights the recognition that only through multilateral, regional, and international cooperation can the relevant challenges in the Red Sea be addressed....
The Israel–Hamas war of 2023–2024, known in Israel as the “Swords of Iron” war, has revived the famous adage of Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz—that “war is a continuation of politics by other means.” This saying has become a basis for criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has so far refrained from adopting a political strategy to end the war in the Gaza Strip and address the “day after.”
Meanwhile, a growing number of voices claim that prolonging the war is Netanyahu’s strategy, particularly given his legal...
Hamas’s successful surprise attack on October 7, 2023, exactly 50 years after October 6, 1973, in the Yom Kippur War, has once again raised the question, in all seriousness, of why and how strategic surprises occur. After the trauma of the Yom Kippur War, which preoccupied the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN), defense establishment, and the public at large for decades, all the elements of that surprise recurred—with catastrophic results.
It is well recognized in the literature on strategic surprise that historical...
On October 7, in the Gaza Division, they didn’t sleep in their boots. Had they slept in their boots, as is customary in field units along the borders, the division’s forces would have gone on alert at dawn and would have been prepared for battle with the Nukhba terrorists.
In contrast, Israel’s athletes at the Paris Olympics won barefoot: Seven Olympic medals were awarded to Israeli athletes in sailing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, and the floor exercise. It turns out that total victory in competitive sports is possible—even without...
Israel should maintain its traditional position of opposing the establishment of an independent nuclear fuel cycle in Saudi Arabia, given the negative strategic ramifications of such a move. Specifically, Israel should insist on applying the nuclear “gold standard,” as was the case with the United Arab Emirates. However, if the idea of Saudi Arabia obtaining the capability to enrich its uranium is acceptable to the Americans and if Israel has already given a green light to the move, in part as a step toward normalization of relations...
Given Hezbollah’s increasing success in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the IDF’s limited success in intercepting them, we must ask whether the Israeli military is prepared to deal with a similar threat from unmanned systems in the maritime theater. Terrorist organizations like Hamas and the Houthis have started using these systems, which has created a new challenge for states and other international bodies. Currently, unmanned maritime systems (UMSs) are primarily used to protect ports, to SSW (subsea warfare), to...
The “concept” is a term that remains fixed in the Israeli public discourse after the 1973 Yom Kippur debacle. It refers to a failed overarching narrative that underlay Israel’s intelligence and security framework. As in 1973, the one that was shattered on October 7, 2023, was marked by overconfidence and complacency. When it shattered, Israel’s vulnerability to the Iranian “ring of fire” was exposed, adding to distressing matters directly involved in the war: The problem of the hostages in Gaza, overstretching of the military forces,...
