Wars and Defense

Jews in the Diaspora were and remain a minority. When small numbers immigrated to Palestine to re-establish their national home, they remained a minority. For nearly eight decades as a majority in their own state, Israeli Jews have nonetheless remained a small minority within the Arab and Muslim Middle East. Survival in all three situations has required self-defense, whether through diplomacy or force of arms.

Thousands of years of precarious living forced an evolution in the Jewish fiber, and self-defense was gradually infused with a doctrine of pre-emption. “Do unto others before they do unto you” was catalyzed by Arab riots in Palestine against Jewish settlements, then blasted into Jewish souls by the slaughter of 6 million Jews in Europe from 1939 to 1945.

Five elements formed Israel’s military doctrine:

• “Never again” will Jews be without the means to defend themselves.
• Having a small territory and small population requires fighting on the enemy’s territory if at all possible.
• A citizen army can be called to service quickly in a crisis.
• A superb intelligence network gathers information about enemies.
• Pre-emption, striking the enemy first, minimizes the time and resources required to fight.