Planning national potential: Israel defense forces and the question of the Arab minority during wartime

Abstract

ABSTRACT Since modern warfare is not only tanks, planes and soldiers, but also a total war between nations, their current and potential economies, their material forces and mental capacities, planning a war comes down to the creation and organization of the country’s overall combatant potential for military use. After the end of the War of Independence and the establishment of the State of Israel, approximately 160,000 Arabs remained in its territory. This minority was perceived as a fifth column at that time that could endanger the security of the State. To devise proactive countermeasures, the IDF Planning Department began discussing what steps should be taken regarding the Arab minority in the case of future war to neutralize this potential threat. The basic principles, which were later formulated into strategic and operative plans of action, were also influenced by the understanding that Israel is a democratic State, and that there are constraints and political considerations bounding these steps. The Planning Department also considered that in some ways this minority could be used to strengthen the national potential.