Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

Speaking at the Knesset plenum, PM Netanyahu listed the main threats facing Israel as “the Iranian [nuclear] threat, the missile threat and what he termed the Goldstone threat (which he defined as a comprehensive attack on the state of Israel revolving around delegitimizing Israel’s right to self-defense). This understanding should also be reflected in the priorities and resources invested in promoting Israel’s national security.

While Israel’s national security strategy was never consolidated into an official written document, it was known to be based on three main concepts – Deterrence of the enemy so it would be reluctant to initiate war. Early Warning (based on good intelligence) in order to prepare IDF forces for any potential attack; and Decisive Victory over the enemy if war actually broke out.

These concepts influenced Israel’s doctrine of the use of force, the security establishment’s structure and the allocation of resources. They were based on the understanding that the primary threat facing the country is military (terrorism, Iranian nuclear attack, conventional armies).

The PM’s words suggest Israeli decision makers understand that in addition to military threats, Israel is also facing a political threat against its legitimacy. However, what remains to be seen is whether the response to the threat is considered ‘technical’ (i.e. ‘better Hasbara’) or strategic (requiring a conceptual framework), and to what extent the Government will be willing to recalibrate the resources it is willing to invest in the effort.