The third threat
In recent years an additional threat has been developing. Its main thrust: attempts by pro-Arab organizations to destroy Israel's legitimacy as a political entity.
By Gabriel Siboni Tags: Holocaust Israel newsEver since its establishment, Israel has had to deal with the threat from the Arab states. At first the Arab countries put together a military force with the aim of conquering Israel. In the face of this physical threat, Israel developed a doctrine of building a force that allowed it to thwart the invasion attempts. When the enemy realized that their approach was not effective, the doctrine of "resistance" was constructed, combining activity by states and organizations.
This doctrine is backed by the developing of teams to send steep-trajectory weapons from civilian areas into population centers in Israel. Since this threat was identified, defense officials have been working to answer it. The Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead are part of the process of formulating that answer.
In recent years, however, an additional threat has been developing. Its main thrust: attempts by pro-Arab organizations to destroy Israel's legitimacy as a political entity. There are many examples of this such, as accusations of an apartheid policy, Holocaust denial and the claim that the state's establishment was an illegal act, as well as accusations that Israel has committed war crimes. These lead to boycotts of Israeli companies and products, academic and cultural boycotts and ultimately calls to destroy the Zionist entity.
This threat is different from the previous ones - its characteristics are not physical and the areas of action are the countries of the world and their citizens. But it combines with the physical threat in an attempt to delegitimize the Israeli response to the Hamas threat. The Goldstone report, which constitutes part of it, is creating an infrastructure that supports the filing of suits abroad against top officials in the army and defense establishment. In fact, it is possible to see the two elements of the threat, the physical and political, as two parts of a complete action against Israel.
The Defense Ministry has led the development of a response to the changing military threat to Israel. However, the threat of delegitimization is not getting the attention it needs; it is not clear who bears the overall responsibility for dealing with this and putting together a complete response doctrine. In fact, if we accept the argument that the two threats, the physical and political, are two parts of a single threat, no one out there is looking at the picture with an overall strategic vision.
The government's decision makers have to understand that the attacks on Israel's political legitimacy are not a mere drip but a flood. The danger that this attack will in the future influence decision makers in the international community must not be ignored. To take preventive action, we must set up a framework to examine the threat and develop a comprehensive response. It seems that in the structure of the regime here, the most suitable place is the National Security Council, which can get help from the defense establishment, the Foreign Ministry, the authorities responsible for public relations, world Jewry and pro-Israel organizations.
During its existence, Israel has been able to create a suitable response to the changing military threat. However, a response to the delegitimization of Israel also depends on the development of a strategic outlook with respect to another important factor: the faith of the country's citizens in our national existence in this land, regardless of political disagreements. Various pro-Arab bodies in the world are trying, with some success, to confuse some of the people of this country and damage their basic belief in the Jews' right to a national home in Israel. Deepening the belief in the justice of our national existence here is one of the main tools for thwarting this plot.
The writer is head of the military research program at the Institute for National Security Studies.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
" ... Israel is systematically accused of things of which the accusers are much, much more quilty." (Absolute Sweden) Not that we haven't been warned. 29 years ago, when our foolish settlement enterprise was still in its infancy. "The attempt to rule over one and a half million Arabs against their will may bring about a demoralization which will disgrace our finest dreams of spiritual and national renewal. Not only will the effort to annex the territories not provide security; it will weaken the capacity to protect ourselves from our neighbors' hostility and THE OPPOSITION OF THE NATIONS." From an Open Letter to then-PM Begin, 1980, by Professor Jacob Talmon (1916-1980), Prof of Modern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. www.fmep.org/analysis/analysis/a-prophetic-message-from-the-past Begin didn't bother to respond to Talmon's Letter. He and his Defense minister Sharon were apparently too busy planning the invasion of Lebanon, 1982. The one whose only result was Arafat's departure for Tunis and the rise of Hezbollah. In 1980, our leaders were still denying the very existence of a Palestinian people, and Hamas was still an obscure little welfare organisation, whose name no one had heard yet. Not until the first Palestinian uprising, seven years later.
legitimacy of Israel. Quoting some texts won't replace realization Israel is systematically accused of things of which the accusers are much ,much more quilty . If Israel disappears the clever quotation from Beersheva would end up in a dumpster .
...looks like the game is up, sooner rather than later...
An important way to thwart this so-called plot is for Israel to negotiate honestly with it's Palestinian counterpart. Today Israel has a right-wing government with extreme elements and a powerful settler lobby who is not interested in making the neccesary compromise needed for peace. Remember today many prominent Jews as well as diaspora Jews in general are becoming increasingly sceptical of Israeli policies toward its Arab population and the Occupation of Palestinian lands. This is the reality and you can change it, but not just with another propaganda tool. The rest - the indoctrinated haters of the Jewish people - are hopeless anyway. But show true signs of goodwill to persuade the majority of world opinion.
An important way to thwart this so-called plot is for Israel to negotiate honestly with it's Palestinian counterpart. Today Israel has a right-wing government with extreme elements and a powerful settler lobby who is not interested in making the neccesary compromise needed for peace. Remember today many prominent Jews as well as diaspora Jews in general are becoming increasingly sceptical of Israeli policies toward its Arab population and the Occupation of Palestinian lands. This is the reality and you can change it, but not just with another propaganda tool. The rest - the indoctrinated haters of the Jewish people - are hopeless anyway. But show true signs of goodwill to persuade the majority of world opinion.
If "Delegitimizedation" is truely a threat to the central governemnt of Israel and Israeli people, the questions of who is responsible and what to do are easily answered. The Who: Prime Minister, Pres, Foreign Minister ...the top people in the government. The What to do (response): The response is to change perceptions, change attitudes, and change Israeli and governmental behavior. The world is watching...It is public relations but it has to genuine instead of smoke and mirrors. The Gaza incursion and subsequent Goldstone report is troublesome because there are real issues identified and the world sees that and the world community is angry. The world community has been angry about a lot of Israeli policies and actions over decades that this "delegit.." threat must address. The world community and American taxpayers are becoming more disenchanted with Israeli's behavior in recent yers. It's the accumlation factor....too many years..the same conflicts..
No one forced Israel to unilaterally withdraw of Gaza, while publicly insulting ("a featherless chick") the man the Palestinians had elected for Chairman just six months earlier, nor to open the gates of Gaza wide before the worst of our enemies. We handed back the whole of Sinai to President Sadat, and got peace. We abandoned Gaza to nobody, and got war with an Islamist enclave we now cannot live with nor defeat. Every folly and its price, Mr. Siboni. Suggested reading: "Trapped Fools: Thirty years of Israeli policy in the Territories" by Major General (ret) Shlomo Gazit, first chief coordinator of Israeli operations in the territories (1967- 1974), and former head of Military Intelligence (1974-1979). Today a member of the staff of Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. "We must have a Palestinian state in our neighborhood, or we will become a Palestinian state." Yehoshafat Harkabi (1921-1994), head of Military Intelligence (1955- 1959), then professor and director of the Institute of International Relations and ME Studies, the Hebrew U, Jerusalem. Nothing personal against you, Mr. Siboni, but I will rather stick with these two gentlemen. The time is long past when an Army clashing, not with another Army but with a foreign and stateless people, could bring a definitive military solution. What other nations, much more powerful than we can ever be, have learned a long time ago, we, supposedly a clever people, haven't understood yet. After more than 41 years have past.