IDF
The Six-Day War: Day FiveOnce Dayan decided against a limited attack in the Golan and opted instead to take the entire Heights, Israel's air force pounded the Syrians. The Syrians had supposed the Israelis to be tired and intimidated by their incessant shelling . . .
Day Four: “Attack! Attack!”Friday, June 8, 2012 by Allan Arkush | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
On June 1, 1967, when Prime Minister Levi Eshkol yielded to public pressure and turned over the portfolio of defense minister to former IDF chief of staff Moshe Dayan, the mood in Israel changed overnight.
The Six-Day War: Day ThreeAs Nasser was ordering his army to flee the Sinai, King Hussein commanded his to stay put. But within the Old City, only a hundred soldiers remained, the rest having already retreated toward the East Bank.
The Six-Day War: Day TwoOn June 6th, 1967, by 8:00 a.m. Tel Aviv time, Israeli forces had entered el-Arish. It initially seemed desolate, but the Israelis were soon under fire from every window. Israel's leadership, not expecting the war to move so quickly, had not considered what do to beyond el-Arish.
The Six-Day War: Day OneAs the sun rose on June 5th, 1967, squadrons of Egypt's MiG fighter jets took to the skies for their morning patrols. Fearing that an Israeli attack would begin at dawn, their aim was to be ready to meet any Israeli planes.
On the Eve of the Six-Day WarForty-five years ago today, on June 4, 1967, Israel and the Jewish world were in suspense. Today, we recall the Six-Day War as a stunning martial victory by the Jewish state; but on the war's eve, this outcome was wholly unforeseeable. Indeed, the odds appeared firmly stacked against Israel.
Under FireWednesday, January 5, 2011 by Sol Stern | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The second Lebanon war in the summer of 2006 forced Israelis to come to grips with the definitive end of the Oslo era and the shattering of two fundamental assumptions about the nature of their conflict with the Palestinians.
Editors' Picks
How to Draft Haredim Yehoshua Pfeffer, Tikvah Fund. "Haredim today are seen not merely as unequal partners in the army, but altogether as non-partners. To change this, Israeli society needs to focus on fostering partnership rather than equality."
Israel vs. Haredim Moshe Averick, Algemeiner. Haredim are criticized today for not serving in the IDF or contributing to the workforce. But secular Zionists must acknowledge their historical role in deliberately marginalizing the Old Jew.
Haredi Holy War Amir Mizroch, Forecast Highs. Fearing that a new alliance between Yesh Atid and Jewish Home will see haredim drafted into the IDF, Israel's haredi rabbis are mounting a fierce campaign to protect the status quo.
The New Haredim Daniel Goldman, Jerusalem Post. A year after the violence between haredim and non-haredim in Beit Shemesh, tensions persist. But more haredim are entering the workforce and joining the army, and their voice is growing.
Israel's Approaching Austerity Avi Temkin, Globes. Yesh Atid's opposition to raising taxes on the middle class presages cuts to welfare, public sector salaries—and the defense budget.
A Stiff-Necked People Ehud Barak, Prospect. "Israelis are a stiff-necked people," admits Ehud Barak in a farewell to electoral politics. But that is what it takes to survive in a tough neighborhood.
Israel's Fallen Warrior Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, the IDF's 15th chief of staff, has died. He survived the battles of Karameh and the Lebanon coast only to succumb to the more formidable foe of leukemia.
Philanthropy Discovered Ben Sales, JTA. "We serve in the army and pay high taxes. We think we give a lot." But many Israelis are changing their minds and starting to donate to private charities.
Raising the Altalena Matthew Bell, BBC. Ben-Gurion's 1948 decision to the sink the Altalena reflected his determination to dominate Begin's Irgun. A new project to raise the ship will also exhume their rivalry.
The Story of Iron Dome Charles Levinson, Adam Entous, Wall Street Journal. It was opposed by the top brass and dismissed by American officials; but in seven years, Iron Dome went from a pipe dream to Israel's greatest defensive asset.