Publications

This essay examines the idea of “Non-lethal warfare” and how it can and should be integrated in the framework of the IDF’s military campaigns. It addresses the organizational, conceptual, and cultural barriers obstructing such a policy, and the changes required in the IDF’s operating principles: establishing the guidelines; changing the concept of time in a military operational design; shifting from a structure of covert to overt campaigns that are connected to the civilian environment; and devising a supportive intelligence and operational mechanism. In practical terms, the way to promote “Non-lethal warfare” in the IDF requires focusing on four relative advantages: technological innovation; Israel’s relationship with the United States and other strategic partners; utilization of the compact size of the defense establishment; and reliance on acquiring civilian know-how through the reserve system, or creating other mechanisms enabling know-how and “soft” capabilities acquirement.