Israel’s National Security Doctrine: The Report of the Committee on the Formulation of the National Security Doctrine (Meridor Committee), Ten Years Later

The committee’s report was adopted by the minister of defense and was presented to the prime minister, the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs (the security cabinet), the heads of the defense establishment, the forum of the IDF General Staff, and other officials. The report gained widespread approval with respect to both its necessity and its content. Although the security cabinet did not have a formal vote to approve the report, in practice some of its recommendations have been adopted. For example, a fourth component (defense) was added to the security triad (deterrence, warning, and decisive victory). In the decade since the committee completed its work, the importance has only increased for an updated and relevant national security doctrine, which can serve as an essential compass for the formulation of principles that will guide the response, for the establishment of an order of priorities, and for the management of risk in the face of Israel’s security challenges.

Since the writing of the report, Israel’s strategic environment has undergone a few more changes; nonetheless, the basic model for the formulation of a security doctrine for Israel’s unique conditions, as well as many of the principles underlying the concept, are still relevant and important, even in today’s changing reality. Therefore, this memorandum presents the story of the committee’s work and examines whether its conclusions and recommendation have withstood the test of time, and if they will in the future. Finally, this memorandum emphasizes that a relevant security doctrine needs to be formulated as soon as possible and will contribute to the important public discussion of Israel’s national security issues.

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Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: The Rationale for Establishing the Committee and the Path to Devising the National Security Doctrine
The Traditional National Security Doctrine and the Developments that Precipitated its Change
The Nature of the Committee’s Work Process
The Logic and Content of the Report

Chapter 2: The Foundations of the National Security Doctrine
The National Goals Underlying the National Security Doctrine
The Changes and Trends in Israel’s Strategic-Security Environment
Israel’s Main Challenges
The Principles of the National Security Doctrine
Changing the Building Blocks of the National Security Doctrine
Israel’s Policy at the Regional Level

Chapter 3: The Response to the Main Security Challenges
The Challenge of Non-Conventional Weapons
The Threat of Terrorism
The Challenge of Conflict with Conventional Armies
Overview of the Main Points in the Response

Chapter 4: Main Issues in the Security Context
The Palestinian Issue
The International-Political Arena
Defense Resources
The “People’s Army”
The Qualitative Edge
Decision-Making Processes
Comments to National Intelligence
The Process for Implementing and Updating the National Security Doctrine

Chapter 5: The Validity of the Recommendations over Time
Basic Conclusions
The Main Recommendation for a Response to the Challenges
The Recommendations for Response to Other Contexts
A Look to the Future

Conclusion

Appendix