IDF
The Challenge of SovereigntyTuesday, April 16, 2013 by Michael B. Oren | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
On the eve of Israel's independence, David Ben-Gurion sat alone, questioning whether a people so long accustomed to being the victims of sovereign power could take responsibility for themselves.
On SilenceMonday, April 15, 2013 by Anita Shapira | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Eschewing Jewish expressions of mourning, Israel's founding generations shaped a national ethos of silence and self-restraint, which found expression in the words of poet David Shimoni: “Don’t mourn, don’t cry/ at a time like this./ Don’t lower your head,/ Work! Work!”
Shani Boianjiu and the Past and Present of Jewish LiteratureWednesday, March 20, 2013 by Melissa Weininger | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Israeli writer Shani Boianjiu's first novel, composed in English, is a rare contemporary addition to the Jewish tradition of transnational literature.
Yair Lapid’s ReligionTuesday, February 19, 2013 by Elli Fischer | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
In a speech to haredi students last year, Yair Lapid advocated a shared public sphere in Israel that is neutral on questions of religion. Does he now have the chance to implement his vision?
Israel’s Friends in GazaThursday, November 29, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Hamas was quick to declare victory in the latest conflict with Israel. A closer look at the price it paid in terms of personnel and equipment shows that its bravado was false.
Strategic Investment in Israel’s New WarWednesday, October 10, 2012 by Ronen Shoval | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Foreign governments, acting thoughtfully and strategically, fund dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that form a flourishing anti-Israel movement within Israel itself.
Krav MagaThursday, October 4, 2012 by Joseph Isaac Lifshitz | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The year was 1987 when the Intifada started. Just after few months after I had joined a Jerusalem judo club, our instructor told us he was going to make a change in our practice sessions: we would now divide our classes between judo and krav maga.
The Daily Page: A “Siyum”-posiumThursday, August 2, 2012 by Jacob J. Schacter, Yoel Finkelman, Michael Carasik, Tzvi H. Weinreb, Devora Steinmetz, Moshe Sokolow, Yehudah Mirsky, Mark Gottlieb, David Glasner, Aryeh Tepper, Marc B. Shapiro, Gil Student, Emanuel Feldman, Alon Shalev, Viva Hammer, Shlomo Zuckier, and Saul J. Berman | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
UPDATE: New posts as of 8/3/12, 1:11 a.m.
Tal TalesTuesday, July 31, 2012 by Elli Fischer | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Tomorrow, the Deferral of Military Service for Yeshiva Students Law (Temporary Measure), better known as the Tal Law, will expire. This law is not just any law: it is the latest enactment of the so-called “status quo arrangement” that frames the uneasy relationship between Israel’s Haredi and secular populations, and between religion and State more generally.
The Six-Day War: Day SixAfter five days spent battling Arab forces, Israel now faced a new opponent: time. With the Egyptians and Jordanians out of the war, and the Syrians having agreed to a ceasefire, the Security Council was becoming restless.
Editors' Picks
Israel's Strongest Union Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom. "Simple arithmetic teaches us that contrary to the official announcement on Monday, the defense budget wasn't actually cut by 3 billion shekels. In fact, it was actually increased by 2.5 billion shekels."
Psychological Warfare Mark Stout, GovStud. Engineers have accused Israel's missile defense system, Iron Dome, of far lower interception rates than the IDF claims. But its real success might not be physical, but psychological.
Remembering Israel’s Fallen , Ynet. Today, on Yom Hazikaron, Israel remembers 25,578 fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, including 92 service members and 10 civilians who have been killed over the past year.
The Price of Freedom Eli Ben Shem, Israel Hayom. “On this day, Israel's big bereaved family, of which I am one, enters your homes, meets you up close, looks into your eyes and seeks your gaze.”
Living and Dying for Israel Yishai Fleisher, Jewish Press. “The battalion commander said: ‘The enemy should not see you weeping like babies in front of the cameras, we are an army, and death is a part of it.’ I knew that he was right.”
The Silver Platter Nathan Alterman, eJewish Philanthropy. “Through wondering tears, the people stare./ ‘Who are you, the silent two?’/ And they reply: ‘We are the silver platter/ Upon which the Jewish State was served to you.’” (Poetry)
Remembrance Before Celebration David Hartman, Hartman Institute. “We affirm the dignity of our existence only as we feel the memory of those who are not here with us. We cannot celebrate unless we feel total solidarity with those who came before us.”
Draft Priorities Aharon Lichtenstein, Pages of Faith. "I think there’s a legitimate basis for having a certain number of people, who contribute in a meaningful way to the discourse of the beit midrash, who are exempt from army service."
Helping Out Uncle Sam Amotz Asa-El, Middle Israel. American aid to Israel began when military spending accounted for half of Israel's budget. Now Israel can afford to give it up—and it would be diplomatically desirable to do so.
Israel All at Sea Ehud Eiran, Yuval Zur, Foreign Affairs. "As a small country hemmed in by adversaries on all of its land borders, Israel should realize that its security and economic prosperity are intrinsically and directly linked to the open seas."