BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,366, February 17, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A US strike on Iran, even one that does not result in regime change, represents a strategic opportunity that aligns well with MAGA priorities. Weakening Iran would curb the …
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,331, February 12, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel’s original defense strategy strove to maximize wartime operational decisiveness as compensation for inferior resilience. In recent decades, anti-terror tactics have taken over our strategic thinking, pushing this principle …
Perspectives Paper No. 2,320, November 28, 2024
A response to “Israel Has ‘The Most Moral Army,’ Certainly Compared to the U.S.? Gaza Death Ratio Tells Another Story”, Haaretz, 20.11.2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In a recent column in Haaretz, Prof. …
Perspectives Paper No. 2,311, November 7, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel’s move in the north signals a clear strategy – the return of the residents of the north to their homes based on a narrow security strip and a political demilitarization …
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,307, September 26, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The IDF’s recent spectacular successes in the north, while refreshing and very much worthy of praise, also revealed limitations. The pager operations were not carried out as part of …
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,292, August 11, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The current war, and Hezbollah’s drone strikes, have made clear that Israeli air superiority does not apply to the “low sky” layer. The fact that the enemy is targeting …
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,282, August 8, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The current war of attrition in Israel’s north is not just a series of reaction equations. It is a race to learn about the enemy and prepare for a …
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,290, August 5, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israel’s flawed strategy of deterring and appeasing its adversaries has had a negative impact on military thinking. In recent decades, the border fence has turned from a tactical measure …
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,286, July 21, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: An Israeli offensive in Lebanon has to be militarily decisive. The removal of the Hezbollah threat is the only possible enabler of a reliable agreement. The punishment approach, which …
Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 205
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In the aftermath of October 7, there is a clear need to reexamine Israel’s principles of defense. It is already clear that a considerable military build-up and additional investments will be …
