Abstract
Various international observers perceive the Israeli state as a danger to Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, and criticize this situation (Yakobson and Rubinstein 2008, p. 105). Within Israel are seen violent protests that are effectively criticizing a failure to provide freedom from fear. When an Israeli security guard shot and killed a Palestinian in the East Jerusalem district of Silwan, violent clashes took place between residents and the police. The riots may also have been motivated by Jewish settlers who had set up a private armed militia suspected of maltreating the local population (Kyzer and Hasson 2010). Here a motivation to act on a failure to provide human security as freedom from fear can be traced. Once the threshold had been crossed of fighting over a failure to provide human security, the question is raised of the responsiveness of the security discourse of Israeli state officials.
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Notes
- 1.
With Israel occupying the West Bank and therefore being partly responsible for the concerns of the Palestinian population, these concerns have to be incorporated into the Israeli discourse in some way. For that reason the occupied Palestinian territories are included in this study in order to investigate whether the threshold of willingness to fight exists if the provision of human security has failed.
- 2.
In 1999 the Israeli Security Cabinet, which functions as a point of reference for determining a ‘securitizing-elite’ in Israel in the analysis below, was not yet established. The Security Cabinet was to create an objective professional advisory body for the Cabinet. The members would evaluate different situations, offer alternatives, determine positions, and have oversight of the Cabinet and the armed forces (Peri 2006).
- 3.
From 2–11 April 2002, Jenin, a Palestinian refugee camp, was under siege and fighting occurred. During the IDF's operations in the camp, Palestinian sources announced that a massacre of hundreds of people had taken place. The United Nations issued a report that found no evidence of 100 of deaths, and criticized both sides for placing Palestinian civilians at risk. “Fifty-two Palestinian deaths had been confirmed by the hospital in Jenin by the end of May 2002. A senior Palestinian Authority official alleged in mid-April that some 500 were killed, a figure that has not been substantiated in light of the evidence that has emerged.” (UN Secretary-General 2002).
- 4.
From 2 April to 10 May 2002 Palestinian militants had taken hostages in the Church of the Nativity. IDF soldiers surrounded the Church. The stand-off was resolved with the deportation of thirteen Palestinian militants (Rees et al. 2002).
- 5.
The idea of ‘economic peace’ states that Israeli economic success will spread throughout the Middle East and lead to a mutual exchange of benevolence between Israel and its neighbours.
- 6.
“Transcript: Shimon Peres”, in: The Wall Street Journal, 24 May 2010.
- 7.
- 8.
The notion of national security is difficult in Israel, as the Israeli state understands itself as the homeland for all Jews worldwide. Accordingly, the historical experiences of Judaism worldwide are incorporated into the national narrative and influence the perception of security.
- 9.
He placed peace in close connection to security, since in the case of the peace resulting from the ‘Oslo accords’ peace is primarily a ‘negative form’ of peace, namely absence from attacks. Therefore, understanding Israel’s national security as threatened by constant attacks, peace and security are conceptualized in close relationship.
- 10.
“Israel stands ready to make the compromises necessary for peace. […] But one thing I will never compromise is our security” (Netanjahu 2010, p. 166).
- 11.
“PM calls urgent meeting on settler attack on IDF base”, in: The Jerusalem Post, 13 December 2011.
- 12.
That Israel did not respect the Geneva Conventions on warfare and knowingly violated human rights.
- 13.
“Barak: Cutting defense budget will hurt security”, in: The Jerusalem Post, 12 May 2011.
- 14.
“The settlements also serve our security […] the settlements are like a fence for us […] the settlements are like a second security line, we need them.” (Liebermann 2010; Doerry and Schult 2010).
- 15.
“No freeze vote until written proposal”, in: The Jerusalem Post, 16 November 2010.
- 16.
Sephardic Jews have their roots in north Africa and Arab countries, rather than the Ashkenazim who originate from eastern and central Europe.
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Schäfer, P.J. (2013). The Human Security Discourse in Israel. In: Human and Water Security in Israel and Jordan. SpringerBriefs in Environment, Security, Development and Peace, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29299-6_6
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