Netanyahu vs The Generals
The Battle for Israel's Future

Explains the paradox of the Israeli security community's enduring opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu, long considered Israel's 'Mr. Security.'

Guy Ziv (Author)

9781009425698, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 January 2024

266 pages
23.5 x 15.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.56 kg

'An incisive, thoroughly researched exploration of one of the most enduring and complex political dynamics in contemporary Israeli history.' Chaoqun Lian, China International Strategy Review

Benjamin Netanyahu has carefully cultivated a self-image as Israel's 'Mr. Security' during his decades of political activity. His reputation as a security-minded leader has resonated with large swathes of the Israeli public, enabling him to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Yet the Israeli security community has long questioned Netanyahu's approach to national security. The Netanyahu era has seen unprecedented civil-military tensions, while retired generals and former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies, some of whom were appointed by Netanyahu, have publicly rejected both his leadership and his policies. Drawing on interviews with dozens of senior veterans of the Israeli security establishment, this book addresses this intriguing paradox. It sets out to explain the mutual distrust and intense disagreements between Netanyahu and the security community, as well as the underlying reasons behind the Israeli public's inattention to the collective judgment of hundreds of ex-generals and former spymasters.

Introduction
1. The Israeli security establishment on the two-state solution
2. 'Mr. Security'
3. Policy disagreements
4. The diminished clout of the generals
5. Populists vs the security establishment
6. Conclusion
Afterword.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]