In this seminar, we will explore the formative events of Israel’s national security and come to appreciate the big picture of Israel’s fight for existence in the face of overwhelming adversity. Together, we will read in-depth primary sources such as the writings of major leaders and policy-makers, transcripts from critical cabinet meetings and official documents from Israel’s enemies. In each session, we will discuss the dilemmas faced by the national leadership and how the outcome of each conflict impacted Israel’s future path.

Topics include: The formation of the pre-state military organizations and the decision to declare the state; The decision to pre-emptively strike in the Six-day War; How to bring Egypt out of active conflict following the Yom Kippur War; How to address the PLO threat in Lebanon in the 1980s; The Oslo Accords and the terror attacks of the 1990s; Was the Second Lebanon War a success or failure? How to prevent nuclear-armed enemies from arising? And the major dilemmas of the ongoing Swords of Iron War. Overall, we will come to appreciate how Israel developed from a small pre-state community fighting for survival to the regional power it has become.