Strategic Assessment

The year 2006 marked the beginning of a process at the end of which the Israel Defense Forces is supposed to “shrink” by 20 percent! This is not just another cutback, but rather a fundamental change in the makeup, character, mentality, and structure of the military organization. Is this the right direction, or is this a gamble? Is this shrinking process sufficient in and of itself, or perhaps the reverse is true, and it has crossed all red lines? How does it suit the anticipated threats? The government ministries apparently do not have exhaustive answers to these questions, especially on the eve of elections, when the conflict between the social and security agendas is leading election propaganda for politicians.