THE INTELLECTUAL AND MODERN Focus IN ISRAELI MILITARY THINKING AS REFLECTED IN MA 'ARACHOT ARTICLES, 1948-2000

摘要

This article examines patterns of continuity and change in Israeli military thinking over time, as reflected in Ma'arachot articles. The main questions addressed are: First, do Ma'arachot pieces reflect an intellectual focus, that is, a theoretically and historically based thinking? Second, given the fact that in modern times war has receded from the actual battlefield, do Ma 'arachot pieces reflect a modern focus? In other words, do they address war in a comprehensive, multilevel, and multidimensional manner? The findings of the survey refute the claim that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is ignorant or anti-intellectual. However, the results portray an army which puts application before study, and which has a lot of catching up to do where a deep understanding of central aspects of modern war is concerned.