MESOP “BESA CENTER ADVICE” – Learning from Israel: IDENTITY – CULTURE- VALUES – RELIGION ABOVE ALL – ESSENTIALLY

Begin – Sadat Center for Strategic Studies

• THE ISRAEL POSITION ‚HOW T O DEAL WITH STRANGERS‘ ON THE GROUND –

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: “Contrary to the accepted wisdom regarding the effectiveness of barriers, there is no substitute for troops on the ground and for civilian settlements that anchor a dominant presence. Israel needs a flexible, dynamic form of security in full friction with the resident populations. An Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank would therefore be ill-advised, and a Palestinian state would in any case inherently undermine Israel’s security. The best hope for both parties is coexistence within the same geographical space.”

This is preceded by a core question that is intended for philosophers, prophets and leaders, and is based on values and worldview. That is the question of what a country is defending. In other words, what is its essence? What is its reason for existence? Nations should be constantly trying to maintain equilibrium between these two sets of considerations. The ‘values’ question as it relates to Israel’s defense – the question of the purpose of a nation’s existence

This is an edited version of an article that appeared in the Autumn 2016 issue of Fathom.

http://fathomjournal.org/separation-is-not-the-answer-gershon-hacohen-on-israels-security/