Publications

Troubling tensions have surfaced recently between Israel’s political leadership and the heads of the security establishment, mainly regarding the operational fitness of the IDF in light of the measures taken by senior reservist officers, particularly in the Air Force. Such tensions are not new, but in the context of the profound existing socio-political crisis, the fact that they have penetrated the discourse among those who are responsible for national security severely harms their trust toward one another, and that of the public in...

The government’s proposed judicial overhaul, which looks increasingly like a recipe for a regime coup, has aroused much opposition. The most important of these critical voices came from officers in the reserve corps, who linked their continued service in the reserves with the democratic nature of the State of Israel. In response, a counterargument was raised, claiming that any such linkage is a political expression, which, in accordance with the apolitical nature of the IDF, is not valid. The purpose of this article is to refute this...

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...

The ethical doctrine of the war on terror is a set of principles that reflects an orderly conception dealing with the proper ways of conducting warfare against terrorism. Such a doctrine mediates between abstract values such as the “IDF spirit,” designed to guide commanders’ and soldiers’ behavior in any circumstances during their operations, and regulations, ROEs, and orders given to guide their behavior in a mission of a certain kind, under specific circumstances, at a specific time, and in a specific place....

In a democratic state the question of when it is appropriate to embark on a war is within the purview of the government, because it is the body responsible for any activity touching on relations between states and other political entities. This question has ramifications for defense of the state, its citizens, and its soldiers. Similarly, the question of what is appropriate action after the war, when working towards peace, is within the government’s purview because any step towards a settlement between the parties is of political...

In a democratic state the question of when it is appropriate to embark on a war is within the purview of the government, because it is the body responsible for any activity touching on relations between states and other political entities. This question has ramifications for defense of the state, its citizens, and its soldiers. Similarly, the question of what is appropriate action after the war, when working towards peace, is within the government’s purview because any step towards a settlement between the parties is of political...