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Israel's Legal System

The dominance of ultra-liberal values in all official state institutions is tied to the preeminent status acquired by Israel’s Supreme Court and the legal system as the unelected guardians of “enlightened” society. Establishment of new judicial norms, judicial activism, abrogation of Knesset laws and the constitutional revolution are part of the new legal and public discourse that the radical left has managed to impose upon Israel’s legal system.

This unit provides a critical perspective of fundamental values in the light of which the law and adjudication are interpreted, and their comparison with conservative approaches and perceptions in Jewish law, and of constitutional law in Israel and the status of the Supreme Court in Israel. Special attention will be paid to Israel’s status in terms of international law and the legal status of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. 

The Unity of Jewish History

Some current intellectual approaches view nations and cultures as transitory kaleidoscopes, nationalism as a fairly recent invention and history as purposeless transmutation. From this perspective, the history of the Jewish people is deconstructed into varying cultural stains that appear and disappear randomly with no particular rhyme or reason, with Zionism portrayed as a movement based on an obsolete and stagnated concept of nationalism. 

This unit surveys these approaches and offers an alternative perspective of unity within multiplicity. This perception incorporates the multifaceted and diverse nature of history, but also recognizes the organic unity of all of these parts to foster understanding of and identification with the Jewish people throughout its history.

Israeli-Arab Relations

Since the founding of the State of Israel the Arab league has openly declared its intention to destroy the State. Beginning with the Camp David Accords, there have been changes in official diplomatic relations. Political processes bought about the signing of peace agreements with Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians. This process, strategically backed by Israel's Left which sought to strengthen ties with the moderate Arab world as a response to the threat of radical Islam, has emerged as a strategic and security failure.

This unit covers the history of relations between Arab nations and Israel, the Arab presence in Israel, and political gain of refugee status, Israel's wars, and the optimum way to negotiate with the Arab world.

Among the topics covered in this unit:

Fundamentals of negotiations with the Arab world

Examination of Israel's peace agreements

The regional and global threats against Israel

Israel's involvement in Lebanon

The history of the Arab-Israeli conflict

Implications of a Palestinian State

The principle of "land for peace"

The definition of "nationhood" and the Palestinians as a case study

Army and Security

The perpetual threat to the State of Israel since its establishment places security at the top of the national agenda, leading to the development of a security doctrine and military thought consistent with Israel’s situation. Confusion of values and the culture of the “New Middle East” account for far-reaching changes in Israeli military thinking: Axiomatic principles such as deterrence and deciding battles in enemy territory have been replaced with obscure concepts that mean little to most soldiers. A new IDF code of ethics and a series of rulings by the High Court of Justice have impacted battle procedures and objectives. Politicization in the IDF is endemic. The unfortunate outcome of the Second Lebanon War was the direct result of these processes.

The Army and Security Unit deals with the dangers posed to Israel; its existential rationale; Israel’s security doctrine; the fundamentals of implementing power and building power; and critically assesses the factors that have caused the negative changes that have taken place in the IDF in recent years.