Generals in the Cabinet Room: How the Military Shapes Israeli Policy

by Yoram Peri

Overview

A dramatic shift of power has taken place within Israel’s political system; where once the military was usually the servant of civilian politicians, today, argues Yoram Peri, generals lead the way when it comes to foreign and defense policymaking.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781929223824
Publisher:	United States Institute of Peace Press (USIP Press)
Publication date:	05/28/2006
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Yoram Peri, a former senior fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, is head of the Chaim Herzog Institute for Media, Politics, and Society and professor of political sociology and communication at Tel Aviv University. He was a political advisor to Yitzhak Rabin, and has been editor-in-chief of the Israeli daily Davar. His books include Between Battles and Ballots, The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, and Telepopulism.

Table of Contents

Foreword Samuel W. Lewis ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 3

1 Civil-Military Relations in Israel 17

2 The Geostrategic Transformation of the 1990s 33

3 The Political Arm of the Military 47

4 The Modus Operandi of the Military 63

5 The "Democratic Putsch" of 1999 77

6 The IDF Confronts a New Intifada 91

7 Sharon's Double-Headed Government 109

8 Political-Military Relations in Low-Intensity Conflict 123

9 The Tragedy of CGS Ya'alon 137

10 The Chief of Staff as a Political Actor 155

11 Is It a Just War? 171

12 Conscientious Objection 185

13 Who Won the Intifada? 197

14 Israel's Security Culture 213

15 Camp David and the Intifada-What Went Wrong? 233

16 Conclusion: The IDF-Sword or Olive Branch? 251

Appendix 1 Glossary 265

Appendix 2 Chronological List of Key Events 267

Appendix 3 Interviews 271

Notes 273

Works Cited 297

Index 307

About the Author 328