Military and security

The Debate over Military Rules of Engagement

The visit to Israel of the Moroccan Armed Forces commanding officer, Lieutenant General Belkhir El-Farouk, in mid-September was the latest sign of a flourishing relationship - despite the recall by Israel of its Ambassador in Rabat. As military and security cooperation with Morocco grows tighter – and in parallel, Israel draws closer to Egypt in several strategic aspects – the complex political situation in North Africa (specifically, the orientation of Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya) requires closer Israeli attention.

Operation “Breaking Dawn” achieved its military and political goals. But it also demonstrated the neck to neck race between the growth rate of the Palestinian’s rocket capabilities and Israel’s defensive capabilities. Israel should prepare for a situation where the current configuration of missile defense will not be sufficient to contain the rocket offensive.

Israel must learn the lesson of ‘Guardian of the Walls’

The IDF, police, and other security forces must grasp that modern conflicts lack a distinct frontier. The frontline may simultaneously be inside and outside the country.

Israel's decision to launch a preemptive military operation in the Gaza Strip only because of threats against it sent a deterrence message to Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and even Hezbollah. The operation significantly damaged the organizational and military capabilities of Islamic Jihad. Still, Israel should have continued extensively damaging the organization's military infrastructure.

Restoring Public Trust: A Challenge for the Next Israeli Chief of Staff

What are the implications, consequences of Israel's Gaza operation?

Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Israel offers the US military and, even more so, the intelligence community critical support. For example, the US Army has gained through the acquisition of the Iron Dome missile defense system, tank technology such as reactive armor, solutions to the challenge of terrorist improvised explosive devices, mine-clearing devices, and much more. In turn, the US defense establishment –specifically CENTCOM, now that Israel is in its area of responsibility – increasingly reflects Israeli perspectives in Washington policy debates. This has recently been the case on Iran.

What Israel, Other Military Powers Can Learn From the Russo-Ukrainian War

Security Tensions

The Security Situation

It is time to revive the spirit of Ben-Gurion’s famous dictum from the days of WWII regarding the stance toward the British: “We will fight the war as if there were no White Paper, and we will fight the White Paper as if there were no war.” This makes sense concerning Israel’s dilemma towards the US in the context of the renewal of the JCPOA.

Israel plans ‘laser wall,’ but questions remain about effectiveness and cost

Military diplomacy as a national security asset: Israel’s widening array of joint exercises
Article by Dr. Eran Lerman republished at JNS

America’s decision to leave Afghanistan makes sense only if the plan is to cut losses in an unwinnable war and redirect resources and energies toward a winnable strategy against Iran.

The Middle East is doomed to remain difficult, brutal, violent, repressive, and culturally Islamist. Regional powers, including Israel, must come together, to guarantee stability.

One of the issues that must be dealt with before the Iranian nuclear program is removing the threat of Hezbollah missiles.

Israel has an unwritten but broadly accepted national security doctrine. These are its parameters and practical applications.

The IDF has chosen to enjoy the advantages of both a volunteer military and a conscript “people’s army,” by piecemeal combination of elements of both

In recent years, there has been a lively debate regarding the “Operational Doctrine for Victory” advanced by the current IDF Chief-of-Staff. The changes inherent in this doctrine have far-reaching implications for the IDF’s order of battle and approach to the use of force. The doctrine itself has many vulnerabilities that must be fixed.

Iraq is already part of the northern crescent of threats facing Israel. The US presence, broader policy regarding Iran makes Israeli action in Iraq more complicated than in Syria.

Hamas Committing War Crimes By Hiding Behind Civilians: Israel Security Experts
Profs. Siboni and Inbar: Hamas commits international war crimes by striking Israel's civilian community centres and by using humans as a shield against counter-attack.

The lesson learned from the current crisis is that restrictions imposed to protect the public are futile unless the public is convinced that it is at risk. To this end, government must communicate to the public with clear-cut data and logical arguments.

Excluded from Netanyahu’s annexation plans, military must somehow prepare anyway
Prof. Inbar and Dr. Lerman of JISS: While Israeli security forces must prepare for a potential outbreak of violence, the response by Palestinians may not be as bad as others expect and would give Israel a clear upper hand in future negotiations.

Coronavirus won’t turn the Middle East all warm and fuzzy.
Inbar and Lerman of JISS: Regardless of whether or not there is a pandemic, Israel still has extremely significant defense and strategic challenges.

Plain Talk by Israel’s Top Soldier Seen as Filling Political Vacuum.
Prof. Efraim Inbar: The main significance of Kochavi’s speech lay in the chief of staff’s willingness to candidly discuss policies previously left opaque.

What Israel needs is strategic patience, there are no more existential threats.
On the new book by Dr. Uzi Rubin of JISS on missile defense, and Dr. Chuck Freilich's book on decision making.

Israel needs 360 degrees of air defense to stop Iran: defense expert.
Uzi Rubin, ‘father’ of the Arrow, gives Israel mixed grade at confronting existential challenges.

The IDF must return to the fundamentals: ground maneuver to achieve “hachra’a” – decisive outcomes.

The generals got it right.
General Yair Golan: The IDF is battle ready but the political echelons and the general staff fear deploying the IDF’s ground forces, even when necessary and justified.

What’s in a “Wall”? In Israel, a mix of structures, technology, policy, and cross-border cooperation.
Prof. Inbar: What’s important are actions beyond the fence, combined with intelligence gathering.

Clear understandings between the political and military echelons are essential in employment of military force and readiness for the next war.

Israel’s successful response to the underground threat has significantly limited the strategic abilities of its enemies, just as Israel has severely hampered the efficiency and purposefulness of rocket launches by terrorist organizations. This affords Israel room to maneuver if and when it decides to launch a wide-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip or Lebanon.

The IDF’s Anti-Tunnel Operation is Not about Tunnels.
General Amidror: It is important to build a legitimacy case against Hezbollah as a criminal terror organization hiding behind and under civilians, exploiting its citizens as human shields.

Bricks In The 'Wall': Israel as a Test-Case for President Trump's Proposed Border Measures.
Prof. Efraim Inbar: The West Bank security fence is not a fool-proof system, but what's important are Israeli actions beyond the fence combined with intelligence gathering to thwart terrorism and other threats.

Uzi Rubin: The Father of Israel’s Missile Defense Programs.
Can any amount of multi-tiered missile defense could be enough to stop a Hezbollah rocket onslaught?