PMESII for a Possible Israeli-United States Joint Force Against Hamas

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Introduction

Israel has shown great resilience and steadfastness in its war against terror. However, the growing insecurity and technological advancement in the Middle East pose a significant threat requiring a rapid advance against Hamas, a Palestinian extremist group. The Israeli position is of high strategic significance given its advancements in technology and infrastructure, and the friendship between the U.S. and Israel should be taken advantage of to form a joint military task force with promptness.

Political

Israel is a parliamentary democracy that consists of an executive, judiciary, and legislature. The country’s political structure is largely institutionalized, with the executive made of a president who is a ceremonial head of state and a prime minister who heads the executive. The government is made of cabinet ministers, one of them being the minister of defense, who is a direct boss to the Chief of Staff, the head of the Israeli defense forces. The executive arm of the government is charged with the administration of internal and foreign affairs. The matters include security which may entail internal and suspected external threats to Israel. The executive thus has powers, including over matters that seem urgent and incumbent upon a different authority or arm of government. The urgent matters may include national security and are deliberated by the cabinet ministers and the general executive. In the past, the executive Israeli political wing has been seen to actively deliberate on matters of a direct attack on groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas against international interest and approval (Michael & Even, 2016). A notable aspect of the cabinet ministers is that it may be terminated upon the death or incapacitation of the prime minister. The termination may lead to an overhaul of the policy trajectory of the government.

However, in case of a vote of no confidence, the prime minister and cabinet ministers remain in office until the next government is formed. The Knesset holds power to pass and nullify policies and bills, including military operations. The power of the KNESSET was seen during Operation Thunderbold, which was approved while troops were mid-air to Entebbe (David,2015). A failure of approval thus may hamper operations.

The political law and order are maintained by the Israeli police. The police are divided into units, and of concern are the anti-terrorist police units and the border police. The anti-terrorist police are tasked with the role of maintaining peace and confidence in the face of constant terrorism. Israel is also made up of local governments. The local governments provide guidance on local issues (of high importance) and monitor KNESSET decisions. Of notable concern among Non-governmental organizations is the United Nations and the Palestine Red Crescent society that have in recent years increased their presence in Israel due to the Israeli-Palestine wars. The organizations may aggravate as well as help in fighting terror groups such as The Palestinian Liberation Organization and Hamas, the target of an operation.

Analyst Comment. Given the centrality of the executive and the KNESSET in enacting any military operation, it is highly imperative to keep these arms of government at arm’s length. However, due to close ties between the United States and the Israeli government and operations on the land may be easy to obtain. Notably, though, local authorities may be instrumental in mapping out affected areas such as the West Bank, and The Gaza strip, and neighboring areas.

Military

The state of Israel is protected by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The IDF, founded in 1948, has undergone major revolutions due to the highly combatant state of the Middle East Region. The military is tasked not only with safeguarding the arrangements of interest for Israel but also its sovereignty. The army’s major strategy is defense, while its tactic is an offense that entails transferring an attack to the offender’s land due to the lack of country depth (Barak, Sheniak & Shapira). The army is divided into the air force, the infantry, and the navy. The IDF has no civilian jurisdiction in Israel and is led by a chief of StaffStaff. Hamas has been a major non-state actor in Israel. Hamas has been known to use both hard and sharp powers in its crusades against Israel-a state actor. The Israeli army has stated that Hamas, in recent times, has used human shields to affect their operations (Rubinstein & Roznai,2011). Currently, Hamas is led by its leader Mohamed Deif and a deputy Marwan Issa. They use both heavy and lightweight weapons such as rockets, anti-tank missiles, and automatic rifles and mortars. The Hamas majorly used tactics such as suicide bombers to kill civilians and scare Israel. The group has also gotten support from other militia from Palestine in an armed struggle against Israel. In retaliation, Israel employs its air arsenal to attack and retaliate, culminating in the most recent airstrikes by Israel to root out Hamas from their hideouts. The high belief is that Hamas is funded by Iran to indirectly confront Israel, which explains its military advancement (Ganor, 2013).

Analyst Comment. Hamas is not a lone terrorist group. With the high likelihood that it is funded by Iran, the possibility of deployment of new technology in warfare is high. Even though Israeli Defences Forces have a long and rich experience in the Middle East, fighting a hybrid war against Hamas may be a daunting task. Israel’s long affiliation with the United States has not only assured the army rich experience but also constant financial and military support, especially with new technology in its warfare. With the United States as support, the war against Hamas may be technical but conquerable.

Economic

Israel’s economy is known for its robust and far-reaching efficiency. It was ranked 35th globally by the World Bank in the ease of doing business index (Engel & Del-Palacio, 2011). It has the second-largest number of start-ups after the United States. It is also ranked third in the number of NASDAQ listed companies. The country’s major sectors are industrial and technology, a sector that powers its state-of-the-art military. The country has invested highly in University education that has seen it revolutionize agriculture and agricultural production. Despite its low rain density experience, the country can produce food for its population. However, the country still has a long way to go due to its dependence on imports of wheat, petroleum, meat, coffee, and sugar. Statistics show that Israeli food insecurity stands at 22 percent (Grisaru et al.,2011). Its overreliance on external import of energy and reliance on the Red Sea for water its major weaknesses. The country also faces a threat in its increasing number of Ultra-orthodox Jews, which increases the dependency ratio. The country is faced with an employment ratio of about four percent, which was aggravated during the COVID 19 period.

The Israeli banking sector is among the most sophisticated, with 16 large local and four foreign banks. The country has held the second most stable and strongest currency, the Shekel, for decades despite its volatile state of war.

Analyst Comment. Given its high investment in technology and telecommunication systems, the ability to carry out an operation in Israel may prove highly effective due to ease of communication. Its advancement in technology also compensates for its lack of manpower, enjoying highly technocratic manpower. Its affiliation with the United States in major technological projects also boosts its capacity to endure a joint long-term operation. However, its consistent food insecurity and reliance on imported power may pose a threat and expose a weak point for enemy attacks.

Social

Israel is a highly Judaic state made up of the Jews. The country is, however, divided into Jews of different country origins according to the Zionist movement founded at the end of the 19th century. Of particular concern are the Jews who emigrated from Arab nations that found it difficult to adjust t the original Jewish culture. Twenty-four percent of Israel is, however, non-Jew. The majority of them are Arab Muslims and also Christians. The mixture of ethnicities results in intercommunity conflicts tough on rare occasions. Conflicts mostly witnessed are between communities who sympathize with countries warring with Israel. Israeli populations are highly educated, with 46 percent of adults between 24-50 years being learned.

Analyst Comment. According to the social nature of the Israeli population, the likelihood of an inter-community clash, especially between the sympathizers of Palestinian Hamas and other Israelites, is high. The conflict may present a problem in the mobilization of full resources to fight. The existence, however, of local authorities and the police may be instrumental in quelling the conflicts, which will improve the national focus on an operation. However, the high likelihood of a conflict may necessitate a covert operation that can only reach the public as deniable propaganda.

Infrastructure

Ninety-two percent of the Israeli population lives in urban areas. Therefore most Israeli areas are either Urban or urbanized. In recent years, Arab villages have faced forced urbanization through forced urban immigration. The coastal cities of Israel carry the majority of urban zones in the country. Also, recently, the government has been expanding its Rail access system. Israeli road and rail systems total up to 16115 kilometres, including non-urban roads. The road and rail access ensures efficient transport with major highways radiating from the major urban centers such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the remote areas. The country also has an Airline, the El A.I. Israeli Airlines, with a single International airport (Ben Gurion International Airport). A network of smaller airports in Tel Aviv and Haifa serves as subsidiaries. The utility of roads is heavy, with majorly private vehicles causing regular congestion. The congestion has necessitated the building of the Carmel tunnel to ease it.

Analyst Comment: An assessment of the map of Israel and its major urban centers poses no threat, given that Hamas’s major concentration is at Westbank, a region further from the coast and the Gaza strip. However, the existence of rockets in conjunction with a perpetually congested road and air system necessitates a tight area of concentration for any resultant combat to avoid civilian casualties.

Information

The Israeli government respects freedom of the press. The Israeli Media is made up of print media, television, and radio stations. Despite the claimed respect for media freedom, the Israeli media has shown, according to Baruch Shomron (2021), a tendency for bias against Palestinian-Israelis. According to the author, Palestinian Israelis are less represented in the media. The author also argues that the Israeli mass media has shown profiling of the Palestinian-Israelis in terms of Violence and crime.

However, Israel has an able security intelligence sector that is renowned worldwide. The Israeli intelligence is made up of the Aman (military intelligence, Mossad (Overseas intelligence), and Shabak (Internal security intelligence). However, according to Vilasi (2018), the military intelligence unit of Israel has experienced past political interference. Israeli also uses information war as a tool against Palestine, which has been a constant threat in planting malware and bugs in the Israeli security system. The Israeli information war is directed by the National Cyber Bureau of Israel. Unit 8200 is a unit formed and tasked with the role of intercepting enemy communications. According to Galeota (2014), the unit is made of the most formidable hackers in the country. The unit majorly uses malware, among which are Duqu and Duqu 2, which have the fame of stopping the Iranian nuclear program.

Analyst Comment. Israel is a highly sophisticated nation in terms of information technology. Its sophistication increases the chances of interception and spying, which incredibly eases warfare. However, political interference in intelligence programs may be detrimental to security and warfare. However, with the inclusion of the United States NSA intelligence, there is no room for error given the close relationship between Mossad and United States Intelligence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Israel has what it takes for successful warfare against Hamas. Given its infrastructure and urban planning, Israel could fight a war without risking its urbanized population. However, the country may face obstacles due to its few airports and high urban density in population. The country is also facing a high risk of insurgency due to media profiling and general citizen sympathy for the enemy. However, with a joint United States-Israeli operation, most of the Short Comings will be overcome.

References

Barak, O., Sheniak, A., & Shapira, A. (2020). The shift to defence in Israel’s hybrid military strategy. Journal of Strategic Studies, 1-33.

David, S. (2015). Operation Thunderbolt: The Entebbe Raid–The Most Audacious Hostage Rescue Mission in History. Hachette UK.

Engel, J. S., & Del-Palacio, I. (2011). Global clusters of innovation: the case of Israel and Silicon Valley. California Management Review, 53(2), 27-49.

Galeota. P.C. (2014). How has information warfare affected the Arab-Israeli conflict?

Ganor, B. (2013). Israel and Hamas: Is War Imminent?. Orbis, 57(1), 120-134.

Grisaru, N., Kaufman, R., Mirsky, J., & Witztum, E. (2011). Food insecurity and mental health: a pilot study of patients in a psychiatric emergency unit in Israel. Community mental health journal, 47(5), 513-519.

Michael, K., & Even, S. (2016). Principles of the Israeli political-military discourse based on the recent IDF Strategy document. Military and Strategic Affairs, 8(1), 19-40.

Rubinstein, A., & Roznai, Y. (2011). Human shields in modern armed conflicts: The need for a proportionate proportionality. Stan. L. & Pol’y Rev., 22, 93.

Shomron, B., & Schejter, A. (2021). Violence and crime as inhibitors of capabilities: the case of Palestinian-Israelis and Israeli mass media. The Communication Review, 24(2), 167-191.

Vilasi, A. C. (2018). The Israeli Intelligence Community. Sociology Mind, 8(02), 114.