The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Territorial Defense

The choice and organization of Israel’s defensive method, decided in the context of border expansion, the distribution of its population, the “people’s army” model, and the modus operandi of its various antagonists, are deeply influenced by borders. This article reviews certain aspects of perception and doctrine related to territorial defense as formulated in the early days of the Israeli state and the extent to which they are applied in practice today. It also describes the decline of territorial defense forces between the Sinai War of 1956 and the end of the 2010s, arising from an emphasis on a more offensive doctrine relying on mechanized and armored forces and a strengthened air force. Finally, it describes the recent revitalization of interest in territorial defense methods and means in light of current and future challenges facing Israel and the IDF; in this way it underlines that, today, the offensive doctrine is not the only solution, as it was in the times of the Sinai War and, especially, following the Six Days War of 1967. On this basis, the article indicates how principles of territorial defense as formulated in the early 1950s, employed alongside lessons learned by the IDF and other armies in the course of recent decades, can create a model of defense applicable to Israel’s border areas. Such a model would contend with the threat of enemy surprise attacks in all alert levels, and particularly states of emergency and war, freeing maneuvering forces to perform their defensive or offensive missions.¹