via Etl Aviv University
Israel’s national security concept is at a turning point that demands clarification. Since October 7, 2023, it has become evident that Israel’s security policy is, in practice, guided by a new security concept rather than the unwritten security doctrine that took shape over decades. (Despite its flaws, the earlier concept helped Israel become a prosperous regional power. Had it been properly implemented, it might have prevented the colossal failure of October 7, but that is for a state commission of inquiry to determine.) This new concept has not been formally articulated or presented to the public, nor is it bindingly defined within the defense establishment. In practice, however, its principles inform decision-making and dictate Israel’s approach to security.
It is important to distinguish between three hierarchical concepts: “national identity,” “security concept,” and “security policy.” A security concept derives its authority from the state’s national identity, its constitution (if one exists), and its foundational heritage. It is a relatively stable conceptual framework that is not supposed to change from one government to the next. National security policy is subordinate to the security concept and constitutes its practical implementation, in accordance with the ideology and political considerations of a particular government. Based on this hierarchy, a profound change in the security concept, the middle layer, is critical: it signals a deeper shift in the state’s national identity above, while driving the practical security policy below. Such a transformation therefore warrants critical, in-depth examination.
This article provides a basis for public and professional debate. Its purpose is not to examine the security concept solely in military and security terms, but to uncover a potentially more fundamental shift: a change in Israel’s national identity. It seeks to provoke thought and address the question of who we are after October 7, 2023. To this end, it exposes the principles underlying the new security policy and poses questions intended to stimulate conceptual and scholarly discussion of the significance of the profound shift these principles reflect.
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Summary of the article:
The "new" security concept described above, while never anchored in an official document or approved through a formal procedure, is what has effectively guided key aspects of Israeli security policy since October 7, 2023. Its considerable influence stems precisely from its operation as an unwritten concept revealed through practice, rather than as a government’s declared policy. It is therefore essential to articulate it explicitly and subject its details and implications to public discussion. Only then can we determine whether it represents a necessary adaptation to the current and emerging security reality, or an expression of a fundamental, unchecked shift in the state’s identity.
The opinions expressed in INSS publications are the authors’ alone.
Tamir Hayman
Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman is the Executive Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Prior to joining INSS, Maj. Gen. (res.) Hayman was Chief of the IDF Intelligence Directorate from 2018-2021. During his 34 years of IDF service, Maj. Gen. (res.) Hayman held a wide range of command positions in the ground forces including operational combat experience in the security zone in Lebanon and in the Palestinian arena.