With no grand solutions either violent or peaceful at hand, the IDF's preferred option remains conflict management. At its core lies the old, ugly but useful concept that has always been central to Israel's security doctrine: deterrence, writ large.
The same terrorist methods developed and used by the Palestinians against Israeli civilians for years are now being employed by ISIS against Europeans: car-rammings, stabbings, and suicide bombings in public spaces.
Without an understanding of what happened in the past, it’s impossible to grasp where we are today — and where we are has profound relevance for the region and the world. Fifty-three years ago this week, the Six-Day War broke out.
Ending Israel’s prolonged political stalemate by creating an emergency national unity government is potentially one positive outcome of the battle against the deadly Coronavirus. With prodding from President Reuven Rivlin, and the prospect of a fourth election looming, Blue and White party head Benny Gantz and Likud chair Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to launch direct talks several weeks after the March 2 elections.
This deep sense of Israeli solidarity is heavily integrated into the current crisis as well as other life-threatening scenarios. It is who we are as people. It is based on the values our country was founded upon. It is something we will always cherish and pass on to our children.