Israel: The Costs of Survival in a Hostile Neighbourhood

Abstract

The state of Israel was established and sustained by the use of force and the power of its army. Effective and continuous foreign power assistance has been an essential ingredient of that process. Formally known as the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the Israeli army has been instrumental in the making of the state of Israel. Even before the proclamation of the state on 14 May 1948, most Jewish leaders in the Zionist movement had the conviction that military power and the use of force were key factors in their statehood. Indeed, as history shows, the use of force and military superiority was the midwife of the new Jewish state and is still Israel’s only guardian.