Description
Book SynopsisThis work defines the central concepts of Israel's national security doctrine as deterrence, geography, manpower, quantity versus quality, offensive manoeuvre warfare, conventional versus unconventional threats, self-reliance, great power patronage, and peripheral partnerships. The author describes and explains how these concepts have influenced the war fighting experience of the Israel Defense Forces, including the air force and the navy. Special attention is paid to Israel's relationships with the United States, Turkey, and India as they relate to the Jewish state's national security, and in particular offers a new interpretation of what really drives these relationships; the motives behind Israeli foreign policy and Israeli arms export policy; and whether Israel's national security doctrine ought to include a capability to threaten the existence of hostile Arab (and Islamic) governments. Sections of this book have been used to teach a class on strategic studies at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.
Trade Review"This book of essays examines a wide range of topics from the role of the Air Force in Israel's National Security strategy, to Israel's bilateral relationship with Turkey and the US, to Israel's arms export policy and the factors motivating its foreign policy. However, these, and a number of other issues, are all linked together by their centrality to Israel's complex, and at times contradictory, national security requirements. Given the challenges facing the Jewish state this work is very timely, all the more so because the author brings a deep knowledge to the subject. All in all a highly informative work that makes an important contribution to the literature on Israeli strategy and involvement in the international arena." -- Professor Efraim Karsh, Head, Mediterranean Studies Programme, King's College, University of London.
Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Basics of Israeli National Security; The Israeli Way of War: The Operations and Tactics of the Israel Defense Forces; Dominating the Sky: The Role of the Israel Air Force; Commanding the Sea: The Role of the Israel Navy; Security Versus Autonomy: The American-Israeli Relationship in War; Peripheral Partnerships: The Israeli-Turkish and Israeli-Indian Relationships; Realist or Jewish (I): The Motives Behind Israeli Foreign Policy; Realist or Jewish (II) : The Motives Behind Israeli Arms Exports; Davids Sling, Goliaths Head: Targeting Arab (and Islamist) Governments; Conclusion: Continuity and Change in Israels National Security Experience.
