The Gaza Border Fence Riots as an Operational Campaign

When it comes to defending the Gaza border against the physical threat, the responsibility of the Chief of Staff and the commander of Southern Command is clear-cut and well fulfilled. That, however, does not constitute a sufficient response to Hamas’s effort to turn the border fence events into a strategic achievement.

“Sharp Power”: Hamas’s Dirty War Against Israel

In the so-called "March of Return," Hamas is utilizing a new kind of power in international relations called "sharp power." This term originally referred to the subversion, manipulation, distraction, and lies authoritarian governments employ to undermine liberal democracies. The concept can now be applied to terrorist organizations like Hamas.

Hamas Is an Abysmal Failure

Hamas has failed because it is caught between two irreconcilable principles: establishing a modern, functioning state that provides for its citizens while at the same time maintaining a perpetual state of war against the Jewish State. Neither the PLO’s nationalist ideology nor Hamas’s religious nationalism have served the interests of the Palestinian people. Only emirates based on local clans can operate legitimately in the Palestinian-controlled territories.

The Palestinian Way of War: The March of Return in Gaza

All Palestinian entities and organizations – from the PLO and PA through the factions, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Salafi groups – have long sought to kill or maim Israeli Jews and damage or destroy their property. The March of Return in Gaza, the latest Palestinian innovation, is similarly intended to lead to bloodshed. Hopefully, Israel will be able to quash the event to save both Israeli and Palestinian lives.

The Strategic Implications of Effective Population Defense Against Ballistic Missiles

Israel was the clear victor in the 2014 Gaza War. That Israel's war aims were achieved by a defensive rather than offensive strategy does not diminish the magnitude of its success.

How the IDF Is Training for War in Gaza

Military drills simulate what the Israel Defense Forces will face in a new kind of ground combat in Gaza – a kind that will inevitably involve civilians amid general chaos.

How Israel Should Handle Gaza’s “Humanitarian Disaster”

In all the years of murderous conflict in Syria and Iraq, neither has experienced a humanitarian disaster in the form of a widespread crisis involving mass hunger and the spread of hunger-related diseases. Yet officials warn that such a crisis could unfold in Gaza. How likely is that prognosis? And if it does occur, what should Israel’s policy be?

In Jenin, Terrorists Get What They Deserve. In Gaza, They Don’t

The night of January 17, 2018, we were witness to another reminder of the success of the hard-hitting strategy adopted by the IDF towards the Arabs in the West Bank – and the failure of containment in Gaza. In Jenin, the murderer of Rabbi Shevah was killed and at least one other terrorist apprehended eight days after the crime. Gilad Shalit’s abductors were never punished and his abduction led to the release of over 1,000 terrorists. The lesson: peacemaking must be from the ground up.

Victory, Not Deterrence, Will Be Israel’s Goal if War Breaks Out Again in Gaza

Creating deterrence was Israel's goal in the last three conflicts it fought against Hamas, but that objective has been cast aside. Any future armed clash with Gaza's Islamist rulers will be guided by a new Israeli objective: that of achieving a crystal clear victory over the enemy.

Don’t Dismantle UNRWA; Reform Its Policies

The desire of Prime Minister Netanyahu to dismantle UNRWA, while understandable in light of the agency’s egregious history of collusion with Hamas, is not a practical proposition. Israel can, however, demand that funding to UNRWA be conditioned on the agency’s reform in multiple areas.