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JCSS Hosts Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies 6 JCSS Hosts Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen Foreign Minister In his first foreign visit since Ireland assumed the presidency of the Silvan Shalom at a Bronfman European Union, Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen delivered a Program speech at the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies on January 15, 2004. workshop Cowen expressed hope that Ireland’s recent experience in peacemaking might benefit the search for peace in the Middle East, although he cautioned against drawing direct parallels. 9 Stressing the affinity between Ireland and Israel, Cowen said that criticism of Israeli policy was rooted in a belief that it would not lead to lasting peace: “Honesty is a requirement of any worthwhile friendship,” he stated. He called for “mutual respect and honest intent” in Former Prime Minister Ehud resolving differences. Cowen also Barak speaking on civil- underscored European commitment to military relations the area, noting both strong bilateral ties and a multilateral relationship within the 10 EU EuroMed arrangement. Addressing TAU President concerns on European views on Israel, Itamar Rabinovich he replied, “If Europe says something with GSS Head that Israel does not like, it does so to a Avi Dichter at considerable extent out of concern for Yariv memorial Israel, not out of hostility.” conference Cowen referred to a strong Israel-Ireland link, noting that Israel’s sixth president, JCSS Head Dr. Shai Feldman (left) with Patrick 13 Chaim Herzog, was born in Belfast and Hennessy, Irish Ambassador to Israel (center) grew up in Dublin, where his father was and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen Chief Rabbi of Ireland. He also remarked that both countries benefit from the support of strong diaspora communities. In the wake of his discussions with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom earlier in the day, he signaled that the European Union might revise its policy regarding the roadmap: “It may be that the initial steps demanded in the Senator Ron Wyden at Forum America roadmap are too steep to be taken in one go. If so, we must endeavor to reach agreement on a package of small but concrete and visible steps, which can be No. 29 February 2004 implemented at once and in parallel.” “THIRTY YEARS AFTER” JCSS Conference Marking 30 Years to the Yom Kippur War 30In October 2003, JCSS held a conference marking the thirtieth anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, “Thirty Years since the Yom Kippur War: Challenges and Efforts toward Answers.” The conference focused on the Yom Kippur War as a watershed in Israeli history, examining changes to the country’s institutions in the Brig. Gen. Aryeh Shalev speaking at the conference’s opening panel. Seated, l-r: JCSS aftermath of the war and the challenges Deputy Head Dr. Ephraim Kam, Dr. Uri Bar-Yosef, Maj. Gen. Shlomo Gazit, and Brig. that confront Israel today. Gen. Shlomo Brom Opening the conference, JCSS Head Dr. Shai Feldman noted three Intelligence, described the strategic he argued, the IDF’s force structure has significant changes in Israel in the surprise Israel suffered with the outbreak not changed to fit new realities. Despite thirty years since the war. There have of the war. The difficulties in analyzing its overwhelming superiority, the IDF is been important developments in conflicting reports regarding Egyptian and unable to project force in a way that thinking on deterrence, there is a Syrian intentions is of critical importance advances the state’s political objectives. better understanding of the strategic to understanding the source of the surprise. JCSS Deputy Head Dr. Ephraim Kam environment in which Israel operates, JCSS Research Fellow Maj. Gen. (ret.) closed the panel with a presentation on and the discourse on security matters Shlomo Gazit, who was appointed Head predicting surprise attacks. Although Israel is now much wider than before the of Military Intelligence following the war, has not experienced a surprise attack since war shocked the country. However, described some of the measures he 1973, there is no reason to assume that it he cautioned, much remains the instituted to prevent similar instances of could not happen again. However, he same. Israel is still at war with Syria, surprise attack, including the establish- argued, with better analysis, better and many of the lessons learned from ment of the “Devil’s Advocate” function organization, and encouragement of 1973 have yet to be implemented. in military intelligence analysis. Yet, he thinking that challenges the “common Despite calls for “plurality” of suggested, until there is an independent wisdom,” it is possible to reduce the analysis, the IDF’s intelligence branch body to produce national intelligence likelihood of strategic surprise. is still the dominant institution. There assessments, such as the National Security is no long-range national defense Council, Israel will find it difficult to “think The second panel was built around planning, and political leaders are out of the box” and prevent further a regional outlook. Ehud Ya’ari, Arab unwilling to set clear policy goals to surprises. Dr. Uri Bar-Yosef, of the affairs commentator for Channel 2 News, guide IDF operational programs. Department of International Relations at described 1973 as the last comprehensive Haifa University, commented on some Arab-Israel war. Since then, not with- The first panel discussion looked at steps that Israel has yet to take following standing their rhetoric, the Arab states intelligence aspects of the war from an the 1973 war. For example, there is no have largely withdrawn from regional Israeli perspective. JCSS Research Fellow official history of the Yom Kippur War, and conflict and have similarly disengaged Brig. Gen. (ret.) Aryeh Shalev, who in 1973 thus no accepted understanding of the from the Palestinian struggle. was Head of Research in IDF Military nature of the intelligence failure. Further, Paradoxically, Israel’s most recent 2 JCSS Bulletin opponents, the Palestinians and Lebanon, dealing with dead enemy soldiers. The lack University, discussed the economic were historically deemed its weakest of literature from the war, he noted, was a challenges facing Israel thirty years after enemies. Dr. Mark Heller, JCSS Principal result of the inability to ask the kind of the Yom Kippur War. Sustainable Research Associate, considered the 1973 questions necessary to write meaningfully economic development, he argued, will war from the perspective of the PLO. He about it. It was a war whose meaning Israel only come by synthesizing the suggested that in the immediate aftermath remains unable to internalize and technological skills and talents of the of the war, there was a missed window of understand fully. young generation with the collective opportunity for negotiations between values that underpinned Israeli society Israel and the PLO. JCSS Research The fourth panel centered on the until 1973 and were seemingly rejected Associate Prof. Abraham Ben-Zvi search for responses to current challenges. after the war. discussed the Yom Kippur War in the Dr. Ariel Levite of the Israeli Atomic Energy context of US-Israel relations, and argued Agency discussed the changes in Israel’s The conference closed with a lecture that 1973 represents a significant starting strategic environment from facing the by Maj. Gen. (ret.) Uri Saguy, former Head point for the current dynamics of US combined armies of the Arab world to the of Military Intelligence. He suggested that involvement in peace efforts in the region. asymmetric challenge of terrorist Israel has not yet learned the critical organizations. Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, lessons of the Yom Kippur War. The The third panel featured three Head of the IDF General Staff Plans and arrogance that characterized the period speakers who addressed the impact of the Policy Directorate, depicted the optimal before the war is still evident in military Yom Kippur War on Israeli society. Prof. IDF force structure to meet the challenges and political thinking. Further, proactive Oz Almog of the Jezreel Valley Academic of changing patterns of military conflict. policymaking and long term planning College discussed the shift in Israeli society This requires adequate responses to remain as deficient as they were in 1973. from one based on common ideology to conventional warfare, to low-intensity and At the same time, positive developments greater pluralism and individualism. This guerilla warfare, and to attacks on civilian have appeared in the Middle East in the process, he argued, was not a result of the populations. Prof. Ze’ev Tzahor, President past thirty years: all players have agreed of Sapir College, also citing that use of force is unlikely to bring a 1973 as end of the founding sustainable result; they have concluded era, examined the impact of that arguments based on historical justice this transition on the collective are of purely symbolic value; and there is values that the founders a consensus that agreements will only be represented. The final speaker, reached by dialogue. Nonetheless, the Prof. Avishai Braverman, existential threat to Israel is paradoxically President of Ben-Gurion greater now than ever before. Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland (right) with television commentator Shlomo Ganor war, but was strengthened and accelerated by it. Dr. Tamar Hermann of Tel Aviv University’s Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research described 1973 as the point at which protest became an accepted part of Israeli political culture. With the end
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