The recent friction between Givati Brigade soldiers and leftist activists in Hebron is the tip of the iceberg of extensive and significant phenomena related to the operational conduct of soldiers toward civilians, the responsibility of commanders, and the job of military policing in the Palestinian territories. The incidents also relate to the demographic structure of the units in the zones ridden with ongoing hostilities. Furthermore, regarding the use of force, the friction and the response to it bespeak a conceptual and normative...
The appointment of the new IDF Chief of Staff is an opportunity to examine fundamental issues and significant challenges that will likely figure during his upcoming tenure. The success of the Chief of Staff and the enhancement of IDF strength are not the exclusive responsibility of the commander of the military and are not only military matters but are rather a critical issue for Israel’s national security, which requires the involvement and direction of the political echelon. This article considers several of the most urgent issues...
Israel’s current mode of operation against the escalation of attacks in the West Bank provides fertile ground for the intensification of the Palestinian ethos of resistance. From the perspective of the armed Palestinian operatives, the cost of the violent friction with IDF forces is not overly high. Symbols of national struggle are born each day and the sense of capability and expectations of the armed struggle are intensifying in the hearts and collective consciousness of the younger generation and provide motivation to join...
The Diversity and Representation Report for 2021, issued in May 2022 by the Civil Service Commission, determined that for some groups in the Israeli population, “the civil service generally meets targets” for appropriate representation. However, the statistics contained in the report itself indicate that not one of the target groups is appropriately represented in the civil service. This lapse likely stems from lack of motivation by government ministries and auxiliary units, and to faulty performance by the Commission in outlining...
The IDF recently decided to add the value of “stateliness” to its ethical code, presented in “The Spirit of the IDF.” The addition states that “The IDF is the people’s army, a stately army, subject to the law and to the government. IDF soldiers will act only in accordance with the mission, IDF values, and the imperatives of national security; they will do so in a principled, straightforward, and exemplary manner.” The term “stateliness” (mamlachtiyut in Hebrew) is vague: in its Ben-Gurionist sense, i.e., that the...
In recent months, the Institute for National Security Studies has published two contradicting approaches regarding offensive maneuver warfare and its relevance to coping with present and future threats facing Israel. This article maintains that the IDF should engage in maneuver warfare, and to this end, it should maintain a competent land force, as stated by one approach. Yet, as the other approach states, maneuver warfare should be carried out in a context and way that serves specific strategic and operative objectives, given the...
The war in Ukraine marks a new climax in the public use of intelligence by states. The United States, the UK, and even the government of Ukraine have revealed intelligence information and assessments about Russia’s intentions and plans before and during the invasion. On the political level, the revelations contributed to shape a narrative that clearly marked Putin as an aggressor and Ukraine as a victim, and thus contributed to the consolidation of a strong and unified front against Russia. On the strategic level, the early...
Overall, Israel is a strong regional power that enjoys clear operational superiority over its enemies due to its strength in intelligence, airpower, and active defense. This was manifested clearly in 2021 in Operation Guardian of the Walls (attacks on Hamas’s underground and active defense), in the campaign between the wars (reducing the Iranian entrenchment in Syria), and in routine security measures in the West Bank. The Tnufa multi-year plan is also meant to improve the IDF’s operational capabilities for war scenarios,...
The economies of the Middle East are divided into high-income economies – those of Israel and the Gulf states – and poor/developing economies, with some states – Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen – suffering deep economic and political crises. The wealthy economies responded to the COVID-19 crisis with vaccinations for the majority of their populations and fiscal expansions, and global price increases are expected to lead to a moderate increase in inflation in these economies. The developing economies, however, have had difficulty...
Three seminal developments shaped the domestic arena in Israel over the past year. The first was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, marked by changing intensities and Israel’s successful vaccination campaign. The second was Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021, which posed difficult challenges to Israel both militarily vis-à-vis Hamas in Gaza and domestically, with violent clashes between Arabs and Jews in Israel. The third was the formation of the new Israeli government.
The IDF has not been a “people’s army” for a long time, at least not in the traditional sense as Ben-Gurion intended. Meantime, discussions of benefits in the IDF have grown far more common, part of a debate that at present is conducted as a means of preserving the remnants of this model. The recent increase in the subsistence allowance of conscripts raised the topic of benefits anew, while at the same time there is confusion between compensation (for loss and damage), benefits (for activity and contribution), and...
In his article “Whoever Flees from Maneuver Will Not Win” (December 23, 2021), Ofer Shelah argues that maneuver (a ground offensive, in military terminology) is essential to defeat the enemy forces, maximize destruction on the enemy’s side, and ensure that the question of “who won?” does not arise. Shelah contends that the use of firepower without maneuver extends the duration of hostilities and thereby increases the damage to Israel, and that defensive achievements are insufficient for any campaign. The purpose of this article is to...
