Publications

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,...

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 specific issue of the cognitive campaign in the digital age arose in connection with the events of May 2020, especially during Operation Guardian of the Walls, but it is a larger issue of increasing importance, given the nature of Israel’s military conflicts today. This issue combines various elements, including the perception of victory in a military conflict, the changing theaters in military conflicts, and the increasing relative importance of the cognitive, media, and social media arenas. Has the perception of victory become...

The military action during Operation Guardian of the Walls was complemented by social media activity, which conveyed and commented on developments in the Gaza Strip and cities in Israel with mixed Jewish and Arab populations for a variety of audiences: Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, and global. While it is hard to assess impact of the social media arena, effects appear to include increased fear among the public and organized participation in violent incidents, as well as influence on public opinion, attitudes toward Israel, and global...

At the start of H. E. President Isaac Herzog’s term of office, and following the many global and local developments and changes over the past six months – including a new administration in Washington, President Biden’s decision to try to return to the nuclear deal with Iran, the formation of a new government in Israel, and growing tensions in Israeli society, including clashes between Arabs and Jews in Israeli cities – the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) presented to President Herzog highlights on the main strategic...

On June 15, 2021, Fatou Bensouda stepped down after a nine-year term as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, succeeded by British lawyer Karim Khan. One of Bensouda’s most recent decisions was to open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed since June 13, 2014 in “Palestine,” i.e., in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. This decision drew harsh criticism from Israel, which charged that political considerations prompted Bensouda to adopt the Palestinian narrative on the conflict...

Operation Guardian of the Walls, or by its Palestinian name, Sword of Jerusalem, reflected the maturation of processes that began at the end of the 20th century and were followed by developments that originated after 2000 in the second Intifada. Now, the Jewish and Arab populations living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea find themselves in a new reality, where the focus of the Israel-Palestinian conflict has shifted from the periphery, including the Gaza Strip, to Jerusalem and the heart of the country. Therefore,...

National strategic communications are a key pillar of Israel’s national security, as was demonstrated once again in Operation Guardian of the Walls. The role of strategic communications should be equal to the government’s other main efforts during events of this sort – parallel to the military effort, the effort to defend the home front, and the international diplomatic effort. This approach properly positions strategic communications as one of the main strategic efforts that the state must pursue. However, despite its...

As in previous rounds of fighting against Hamas, Operation Guardian of the Walls exacted three types of economic costs: the direct military cost, reduction in economic activity, and property damage caused by the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Some of these costs are difficult to estimate, and it is thus too early to assess the full economic consequences of the operation. In addition, the parties responsible for these estimates, that is, the Ministry of Defense on the one hand and the Ministry of Finance on the other, have opposing...

Israel should strive to change the post-fighting political, security and economic reality in the Gaza Strip, in order to avoid a recurrence of the situation that prevailed in the region on the eve of Operation Guardian of the Walls. The previous three rounds of confrontation between Israel and Hamas failed to jumpstart an arrangement that would change the reality in the embattled area. In order to promote change that improves Israel’s strategic environment vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip, Israel will need to decide on an overall...

The escalation between Israel and Hamas elicited responses in the form of statements from some EU members. The common denominator of the rhetoric included condemnation of Hamas for the rocket fire at Israeli civilians, support of Israel’s right to self-defense, and a call for an end to hostilities. Separate statements by various countries noted additional points, some of which emphasized the importance of renewing the Israeli-Palestinian political process. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep...

During Operation Guardian of the Walls, Turkey was one of the countries that expressed extreme criticism of Israel’s policy. Turkey’s vitriolic rhetoric was accompanied by diplomatic efforts, mainly but not exclusively direct, at leaders of Muslim countries. Turkey also took extensive action through government media aimed at the international community. Following the escalation, the Turkish Foreign Minister threatened that the Muslim world would send an international force to Jerusalem in order to prevent any recurrence...