Operation Rising Lion—launched amid a prolonged war in the Gaza Strip—was accompanied by broad public consensus and a sharp rise in trust indices toward the IDF. However, an analysis of public discourse and opinion polls conducted during the operation shows that this success did not erase deep social tensions and, in some cases, even exacerbated them. The gap between the Air Force and the Ground Forces deepened, further highlighting the narrative of the “upper and lower IDF.” The operation also renewed the glorification of the...
Upon assuming office, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir declared that restoring public trust in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is a “binding mission.” However, an analysis of the IDF’s communication strategy during Operation Rising Lion reveals that both the IDF and the political echelon sought to restore public trust in the IDF’s superiority. This effort aimed to reinforce the same sense of absolute advantage and false immunity that had permeated the public, the political echelon, and the military echelon before October 7, 2023. This...
We invite you to look and learn about the fallen through this annual memorial project—to once again recognize how, in the microcosm of the people’s army, the character of its fallen reflects the society itself.
On March 1, 2025, residents of northern Israel were expected to return to their homes. However, they have also been exposed daily to reports of mutual violations of the ceasefire agreement, both by Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the return of South Lebanon residents to their homes—some even carrying Hezbollah flags and pictures of Nasrallah. Residents with children found the return date problematic, as it required transferring their children to a different educational framework mid-year. Additionally, the return date marked the...
In mid-January, Defense Minister Israel Katz, appointed to replace Yoav Gallant—who presented a position opposed to the government on drafting the ultra-Orthodox—presented to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee the principles of the conscription law that he aims to advance. While these are only principles and not a draft law, the concept of gradual recruitment targets has emerged as a key point of social and political controversy. This is largely because the proposed targets do not align with the IDF’s recent...
Currently, amid the growing debate over the fighting in the Gaza Strip within the context of the Swords of Iron war—what the worthy and attainable goals are and how to achieve them, as well as whether to escalate the campaign in Lebanon, including possibly occupying territory in southern Lebanon—it is worth returning to the IDF’s presence in Lebanon, particularly from September 1982 to one year later when the IDF unilaterally withdrew south of the Awali River. By comparing the decision-making processes, the public atmosphere, and the...
On July 30, 2023, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) hosted a conference on generative AI (artificial intelligence) and its impact on national security. Generative AI is a category of AI technologies that refers to the generation of types of content such as text, audio, and images using AI algorithms. Participants in the conference included figures from the sectors of hi-tech, higher education, and the security industry in Israel. They discussed at length the implications of the latest developments in generative AI –...
