Book review: Israel’s National Security, the Arab Position, and It's Complicated Relations with the United States
Author Ehud Eilam analyzes major national security issues in the Middle East, focusing on those regarding Israel, which could have negative implications on the United States
IsraelDefense
| 15/03/2022
An Israeli soldier stands near the Quneitra crossing in the Golan Heights on the borderline between Israel and Syria, October 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Title: Israel’s National Security, the Arab Position, and It's Complicated Relations with the United States
Author: Ehud Eilam
Publishing information: Rowman & Littlefield: Lexington books, 2022
This book analyzes major national security issues in the Middle East, focusing on those regarding Israel, which could have negative implications on the United States. Currently, Israel is concerned with Iran’s nuclear program, its regional ambitions, and Hezbollah’s arsenal. Other major concerns facing Israel are the chemical weapons in Syria and the Golan Heights, and Egypt’s internal problems, which might undermine its peace with Israel. In the Gaza Strip, the growing conflict between Israel and Hamas could lead to another war.
REVIEWS:
A must-read book for anyone interested in the geopolitical reality in which Israel finds itself in the second decade of the 21st century. The book offers a comprehensive and in-depth discussion of Israel's security doctrine, policies and moves in the face of challenges in this new reality.
-- Eyal Zisser, Tel Aviv University
This important new book analyzes Israel’s security challenges, its potential future wars, and the role of the United States in Israeli national security. His unique military insights and exhaustive research provide excellent analysis of the new dimensions of potential wars in the region, ranging from conflicts between Israel and Iran, non-state actors such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and even a new war between Israel and Egypt. This should be read by all those interested in Israeli national security, conflict in the Middle East, and U.S. national security interests in the region.
-- Col. David M. Witty, retired U.S. Army Middle East Foreign Area Officer
Eilam’s new book provides an in-depth discussion of a series of issues on Israel’s security agenda for the last decade. These range from her conflict with Iran’s nuclear and regional hegemonic ambitions to her relations with Turkey. The book therefore makes an important contribution to the literature on Israel’s national security debate.
-- Eitan Barak, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
This book provides a timely and comprehensive study of Israeli perspectives on rapidly changing regional developments in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings. Eilam’s nuanced analysis of the strategic and geopolitical crosscurrents across a turbulent decade will be of value to scholars and policymakers alike as the region stands on the cusp of a new set of realignments.
- Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University
In this excellent, comprehensive and in-depth book, Dr. Eilam provides the reader with a veteran Israeli military academic practitioner’s sweeping, authoritative and current overview of the major national security challenges confronting the Israeli state. It is an essential book for the general reader as well as a valuable textbook for university courses on Israeli national security.
- Joshua Sinai, Capitol Technology University
Author Ehud Eilam analyzes major national security issues in the Middle East, focusing on those regarding Israel, which could have negative implications on the United States
An Israeli soldier stands near the Quneitra crossing in the Golan Heights on the borderline between Israel and Syria, October 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Title: Israel’s National Security, the Arab Position, and It's Complicated Relations with the United States
Author: Ehud Eilam
Publishing information: Rowman & Littlefield: Lexington books, 2022
This book analyzes major national security issues in the Middle East, focusing on those regarding Israel, which could have negative implications on the United States. Currently, Israel is concerned with Iran’s nuclear program, its regional ambitions, and Hezbollah’s arsenal. Other major concerns facing Israel are the chemical weapons in Syria and the Golan Heights, and Egypt’s internal problems, which might undermine its peace with Israel. In the Gaza Strip, the growing conflict between Israel and Hamas could lead to another war.
REVIEWS:
A must-read book for anyone interested in the geopolitical reality in which Israel finds itself in the second decade of the 21st century. The book offers a comprehensive and in-depth discussion of Israel's security doctrine, policies and moves in the face of challenges in this new reality.
-- Eyal Zisser, Tel Aviv University
This important new book analyzes Israel’s security challenges, its potential future wars, and the role of the United States in Israeli national security. His unique military insights and exhaustive research provide excellent analysis of the new dimensions of potential wars in the region, ranging from conflicts between Israel and Iran, non-state actors such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and even a new war between Israel and Egypt. This should be read by all those interested in Israeli national security, conflict in the Middle East, and U.S. national security interests in the region.
-- Col. David M. Witty, retired U.S. Army Middle East Foreign Area Officer
Eilam’s new book provides an in-depth discussion of a series of issues on Israel’s security agenda for the last decade. These range from her conflict with Iran’s nuclear and regional hegemonic ambitions to her relations with Turkey. The book therefore makes an important contribution to the literature on Israel’s national security debate.
-- Eitan Barak, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
This book provides a timely and comprehensive study of Israeli perspectives on rapidly changing regional developments in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings. Eilam’s nuanced analysis of the strategic and geopolitical crosscurrents across a turbulent decade will be of value to scholars and policymakers alike as the region stands on the cusp of a new set of realignments.
- Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University
In this excellent, comprehensive and in-depth book, Dr. Eilam provides the reader with a veteran Israeli military academic practitioner’s sweeping, authoritative and current overview of the major national security challenges confronting the Israeli state. It is an essential book for the general reader as well as a valuable textbook for university courses on Israeli national security.
- Joshua Sinai, Capitol Technology University
