This essay examines the idea of “Non-lethal warfare” and how it can and should be integrated in the framework of the IDF’s military campaigns. It addresses the organizational, conceptual, and cultural barriers obstructing such a policy, and the changes required in the IDF’s operating principles: establishing the guidelines; changing the concept of time in a military operational design; shifting from a structure of covert to overt campaigns that are connected to the civilian environment; and devising a supportive intelligence and...
The voices calling for the application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, or parts thereof, have recently grown louder. The main problem with this measure is the disregard of the repercussions of this course of action for the Palestinians in this territory and the future of the Palestinian Authority, and the ensuing ramifications for Israel, both on the domestic and international levels. The Israeli government can decide that despite arguments against the move, it wants to advance courses of action to extend sovereignty...
This essay discusses four principal disputes in Israeli society related to national security, focusing on approaches to these issues among the Israeli Jewish public (hereafter, “the public”). It outlines the connection between these disputes and different world views among the public, based on respective approaches to the country’s core values. To this end, the essay discusses the significance of Israel’s definition as a “Jewish and democratic state,” the role of liberal values in the Israeli democratic context, and possible ways to...
Seven years after the onset of the upheaval in the Middle East and two years since the implementation of the nuclear deal between the world powers and Iran, the main contours of the region’s emerging reality – including the actors, rivalries, partnerships, front lines, power relations, and behavior of the major powers – are becoming clear. Now, after nearly one full year at the Washington helm, the nature of the Trump administration and its influence on the domestic arena, the Middle East, and the global stage are also coming into...
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...
More than seven years after the Gaza flotilla incident, it appears that the legal handling of the matter by the ICC has come to an end. On November 30, 2017, Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda submitted her final decision, confirming her decision of 2014 not to open an investigation against Israel with respect to the “flotilla incident.” Together with this success, Israel faces a greater challenge from the Court – dealing with the preliminary examination taking place about the situation in “Palestine.” This includes an assessment of war...
One of the disturbing trends relating to the delegitimization of Israel is that ideas and messages questioning Israel’s very legitimacy are gaining traction within the liberal public in Western countries. This public comprises the academic, political, economic, and cultural elites in most Western countries, and therefore any influences on this population have significant repercussions in all of these spheres. The key question is why and how this process is taking place. When the narrative presented against Israel is examined in...
Are the recent US strikes against the Islamic State, as well Russia’s permissive policy on airstrikes in Syria that cause mass civilian casualties and extensive harm to civilian infrastructures, evidence of a change in international standards in the fight against terrorist organizations and sub-state actors? A related question is: do the rules of engagement that apply to powers such as the United States and Russia also apply to other states confronting terrorism, such as Israel? How should Israel prepare for its next confrontation...
In early March 2017, the Knesset passed a bill barring non-Israeli citizens from entering the state if they, or the organization for which they work, issued calls or participated in boycotts against Israel, including those directed against Israeli settlements. However, the new bill does not equip Israel with any substantial additional tools to counter delegitimization efforts, and in fact is perceived as counterproductive in the struggle against Israel’s delegitimization. From a strategic perspective, the bill contributes...
The Settlement Regularization in Judea and Samaria Law, 5777 – 2017 was legislated by the Knesset on February 6, 2017, despite the clear statements made by the State Attorney-General that the bill is unconstitutional and that he will not defend it before the High Court of Justice. Petitions to the High Court of Justice will certainly be filed, and the fate of the bill will be decided in judicial channels. One can assume that, if the High Court of Justice nullifies the bill, harsh criticism will be voiced against the court, which will...
Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23, 2016, is a firm condemnation of the Israeli government’s policy on the settlements. A key focus of the resolution is the effort to halt Israeli measures perceived as liable to thwart the implementation of a two-state solution. This refers primarily to construction outside the settlement blocs and Israeli legislative initiatives perceived as intended to change the legal status of the area. • Resolution 2334 is a resolution under Chapter 6 of the UN Charter, and does not include sanctions to be...
On July 1, 2016, the Middle East Quartet published its latest report, focusing on major threats to achievement of a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and offering recommenda- tions to advance the two-state solution. Despite the criticism of Israel, from Israel’s perspective the report includes three central positive elements. First, it frames the situation as a political conflict in which both sides carry a sizable share of the blame. In this respect the report is a refreshing change from international reports,...
