The strategic assessment for Israel for 2021 is shaped by significant uncertainty in three principal areas: the level of success in coping with COVID-19; the modus operandi and policies of the new administration in the United States; and the political developments in Israel. The current assessment is based on a broader conception of national security, which places greater weight than in the past on the domestic arena and on threats to internal stability, social cohesion, values, and fabric of life. This of course does not detract...
The strategic assessment for Israel for 2021 is shaped by significant uncertainty in three principal areas: the level of success in coping with COVID-19; the modus operandi and policies of the new administration in the United States; and the political developments in Israel. The current assessment is based on a broader conception of national security, which places greater weight than in the past on the domestic arena and on threats to internal stability, social cohesion, values, and fabric of life. This of course does not detract...
The State of Israel’s strategic balance in 2020 is the basis for the policy recommendations for the coming year. In implementing these recommendations, it is important to emphasize the State of Israel’s overarching objectives: to strengthen Israel as a Jewish, democratic, secure, prosperous, and just state that is at peace with its neighbors. These objectives define Israel’s purpose, both in the eyes of the Israeli public and in the eyes of the international community.
The State of Israel’s strategic efforts and...
In December 2016, the Knesset approved shortening compulsory military service for men from 32 to 30 months for conscripts who enlist from July 2020. However, the IDF continues to operate according to the 32-month service framework, and based on professional military considerations, seeks to amend the law and restore the 32-month service. According to a Knesset communiqué, the Minister of Defense “has yet to formulate his position on the issue.” An informed response to the IDF’s position must tackle numerous...
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a new situation for the Israel Police (IP). Instead of focusing on criminal offenses and personal security, the IP are called on to give high priority to the enforcement of pandemic-related regulations and restrictions on the general public. This new reality demands of the IP much sensitivity, along with the need to make fine distinctions among situations and population groups in the fulfillment of two primary objectives: enforcement of the government’s instructions to contain contagion, and...
Eight months after the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel, and after the imposition of two lockdowns aimed at “flattening the curve of infection,” it is apparent that the root reasons for Israel’s failure to defeat the pandemic do not lie solely in the limited resources of the health system, the country’s economic difficulties, the eroding status of the legislative and the judicial branches, or the narrow coalition considerations designed to ensure the government’s survival. Rather, the main challenge stems from the...
Since early 2020, the IDF has operated according to the “Tnufa” (“Momentum”) multi-year plan for the years 2020-2024. However, the plan has still not yet received the official approval of the Israeli cabinet and is not anchored in a multi-year budget agreement. With no other choice, the IDF has put the program into action using the resources at its disposal. This problematic situation is a function of the current political instability. Now, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, approval of the defense budgets for the...
The defense industries are one of the cornerstones of Israel’s security. They were born of an understanding that Israel could not rely on external sources for procurement of needed materials and systems. Local production goes hand in hand with research and development in Israel, enabling the tailoring of unique weapons systems to the IDF’s changing needs, giving it advantages on the battlefield.
The IDF is widely seen as the defense industries’ central customer, and its use of the industries’ products enhances their reputation when...
Following the outbreak in Israel of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the government’s difficulty in successfully handling the combined health-economic-social crisis, growing voices – including among senior politicians within the governing coalition – are calling for the Ministry of Defense to be assigned the task of managing the campaign. Some are also calling explicitly for the IDF to assume direct responsibility for managing the crisis. This call was to be expected, especially given the high public trust in the IDF. The...
In January 2020, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) hosted its 13th Annual International Conference. Entitled “Strategic Assessment for Israel: A Look at the Coming Decade,” the conference included discussions, simulations, and lectures on strategic issues important to Israel’s national security. The conference was attended by decision makers, opinion leaders, and leading researchers from Israel and abroad. We invite you to read the digital version of the booklet that summarizes the conference...
Iran and Syria recently signed an agreement to expand military and technological collaboration. President Bashar al-Assad met with Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, who came to Damascus for the signing ceremony, extended his support for the agreement, and declared that it reflects the high level of strategic and multi-dimensional ties between the countries. The agreement was formulated after many years of coordination and cooperation between Syria and Iran in the war against the rebels and the opposition in...
In a recent speech, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said that even during the coronavirus crisis, “the IDF continued to prevent and uproot threats,” and to provide Israel with security and stability. This activity, he stated, is likely to be taken for granted, because of the “defense paradox: when there is security tranquility and stability, people are inclined to forget how difficult it is to achieve them,” and they make the mistake of thinking that spending on defense needs can be reduced. The Chief of Staff...
