1.            What is strategy?

Basic concepts; Fundamental terms in game-theory.

Essential Reading:

Thomas Schelling, Arms and Influence, Yale University Press, 1966,   location in library: 327(1717)(1713) SCHE

Michael Porter, "What is Strategy?", Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec. 1996, pp. 61-78.

Paul Kennedy, "Grand Strategy in War and Peace: Toward a Boader Definition", in Paul Kennedy (ed.) Grand Strategies in War and Peace, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991, pp. 1-7.

Optional Reading:

Brodie, Bernard;  War and politics, New York : Macmillan Pub. Co., 1973 , location in library: 355.0217 BRO  , S

Colin S. Gray, "Why Strategy is Difficult?", Joint Force Quarterly, No. 22, 1999, pp. 6-12.

2.            Varying levels of strategic discussion

The difference between strategy and the other levels, such as operational, tactical, and technical. Examples: air-defence, ground-to-ground missiles, attack helicopters.

Essential Reading:

al-Shazli, Sa'ad; The crossing of the Suez. Rev. English ed., American Mideast Research, c2003, location in library (Soraski/Central): 962.06 SHA

Optional Reading:

Luttwak, Edward;  The grand strategy of the Roman Empire, Johns Hopkins University Press, c1976, location in library (Soraski/Central): 937.07 LUT

3.            Strategy and Grand-strategy

Example: Yom Kippur War

Essential Reading:

Herzog, Chaim, The War of Atonement. Greenhill Books, 1998, Chapters 1-5,19

4.            The First Era: Conflict between Neighbors (1920-1947)

Essential Reading:

The Iron Wall:  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14801.htm

Optional Reading:

Jabotinsky, Vladimir;  The political and social philosophy of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, location in library(Soraski/Central): 933.643 JAB

5.            The Second Era: Invasion of state armies (1947-1995) -I

6.            The Second Era: Invasion of state armies (1947-1995) -II

History; striking force versus potential power; numerical asymmetry; quality versus quantity; use of overwhelming force; economical issues; the meaning of victory; The two legs of Iron Wall: conventional and unconventional; the concept of rounds; cumulative deterrence; the concept of "Hachraa" (decisive victory); Home Front and civil population resilience.

Essential Reading:

Michael Handel, "The Evolution of Israeli Strategy: Psychology of Insecurity and the Quest for Absolute Security", in Murray, Knox & Bernstein (eds.), The Making of Strategy, Cambridge, 1994, pp. 534-578

Dan Horowitz, "The Israeli Concept of National Security and the Prospects of Peace in the Middle East", in G. Sheffer (ed.), Dynamics of a conflict, Humanities Press, 1975, pp.235-275

Cohen, Eliot A.;  Supreme Command,  Free Press, 2002 , location in library (Soraski-Central): 322.5 COH

Avner Yaniv, Deterrence without a Bomb: The Politics of Israeli Strategy, D.C. Heath & Co., 1987

7.            Deterrence – I

8.            Deterrence - II

Conventional vs. unconventional deterrence; a brief guide for making a bomb; nuclear effects; measures of deterrence; MAD; second strike capability.

Essential Reading:

Patrick M. Morgan, Deterrence: A Conceptual Analysis, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1983 (second edition), pp. 11-102

 Kissinger, Henry, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign policy,  published for the Council on Foreign Relations by Westview Press, 1984, location in library(Soraski/Central): 327 KIS

Feldman, Shai, Israeli nuclear deterrence, Columbia University Press, 1982, location in library: E355.0217 FEL, BK

Avner Cohen, Israel and the Bomb, Columbia University Press. 1998

Waltz Kenneth and Scott Sagen, The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate, W.W Norton, 1995, Chps. 1-2.

Optional Reading:

Paul K. Huth, Extended Deterrence and the Prevention of War, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988, pp.1-55

Yair Evron, Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Middle East: Strategies, Threat Preceptions and Possibilities for Arms Control, Washington: The Henry L. Stimson Center, 1998.

9.            Intelligence, Early Warning, and Surprise

Essential Reading:

Isaac Ben-Israel, "A New Approach to Intelligence Assessment", Chapter 12 in Steve Tsang (ed.), Intelligence and Human Rights in the Era of Global Terrorism, Praeger, 2007, pp. 132-144

Ariel Levite, Intelligence and Strategic Surprise, Columbia University Press, 1987, pp. 135-172

Isaac Ben Israel, "Philosophy and Methodology of Intelligence -- The Logic of Estimate Process", Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 4, No. 4, October 1989, pp. 690-718.

Optional Reading:

Kam, Ephraim,  Surprise Attack, Harvard University Press, 2004, location in library(Soraski/Central): 355.4 KAM, CS

10.        The third era (1995-). I – Terror

Essential Reading:

Martin Van Creveld. The Transformation of War, Free Press, 1991, pp. 1-35.

Isaac Ben-Israel, Oren Setter and Asher Tishler, "R&D and the War on Terrorism: Generalizing the Israeli Experience", in Andrew James(ed.), Science and Technology Policies for the Anti-Terrorism Era, NATO Science Series V (Amsterdam: IOS Press),  2006, pp. 51-63

11.        The third era (1995-). II – Missile Wars

Essential Reading:

Isaac Ben-Israel, "Aerospace Power and Counterinsurgency: Israeli Experience", Chapter 10 in James Fergusson and William March (eds.), No Clear Flight Plane – Counterinsurgency and Aerospace Power, The Centre for Defence and Security Studies in Winnipeg, 

12.        Strategy and Technology

Revolution in Military affairs: Precision Strike, Space, Information Warfare, Dominant Maneuver; the unique role of Israel; the principle of relative advantage in force buildup.

Essential Reading:

Martin Van Creveld, Technology and War, The Free Press, 1991, pp. 235-320

Isaac Ben-Israel, "The Revolution in Military Affairs and the Operation in Iraq", in S. Feldman (ed.), After the War in Iraq – Defining the New Strategic Balance, Sussex Academic Press, 2003, pp. 55-74.

Toffler, Alvin,  War and Anti-War, Little, Brown, 1993, location in library(Social Sciences): 355 TOF, BK

Eliot Choen, "A Revolution in Warfare", Foreign Affairs, 1996, Vol. 75(2) pp. 37-54.

Optional Reading:

Howard, Michael; War in European history. Oxford University Press,  1976, location in library(Soraski/Central): 355.09(4) HOW, CS

13.        The role of Defence Industry in Israeli security Doctrine

R&D vs. sustainability; R&D Ecosystem; foreign relations and defence export; examples: UAV's, air-to-air missiles, missile defence.

14.        Summary