‘Blackmailing the army’ – ‘Strategic Military Refusal’ as policy and doctrine enforcement: the formation of a new security agent

Abstract

The study shows how ‘strategic military refusal’ in Israel developed as a rational and institutional means to influence security policies. As opposed to the perspective that sees military refusal as a spontaneous individual act, the study illustrates how organizations operate to distribute military refusal in order to pressure decision-makers to change their military policies. This strategy has proven to be effective when the military is involved with groups that threaten it with refusal – which threatens the military's operational ability and its official and apolitical image. These include soldiers whose civilian authorities, rather than their military commanders, are perceived as an epistemic authority regarding security issues. The case study refers to the impact of strategic military refusal in Israel on security policies and the military doctrine. This was influenced by leftist groups, which, although they belonged to the parliamentary opposition, had dominant presence in the military ranks. Furthermore, the study examines the effect of the use of strategic military refusal on the model of military recruitment.

Keywords::

• strategic military refusal
• epistemic authority
• embedded military
• unity of command
• security policy
• Israel
• Lebanon
• Gaza

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Professor Paul B. Rich for his intellectual insights, the journal's reviewers for their kind remarks and suggestions, and Ms. Danielle Zilberberg for her professional editing assistance. Many thanks to Dr. Eithan Orkibi who offerred me the term “Strategic Military Refusal” and to the project research assistance of Ms. Ayala Shaulson, for her professionalism, devotion and dedication.

Notes

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^5.Mills, Michel Foucault, 91.

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^7.Kolonimos and Bar-Tal, ‘The Ethos Perception’.

^8.Mills, Michel Foucault, 13.

^9.Osiel, ‘Obeying Orders’.

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^14.Osiel, ‘Obeying Orders’.

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^36.Reyes, Strategic Options.

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^38.Olson, The Logic of Collective Action.

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^40.Osiel, ‘Obeying Orders’.

^41. Ibid., 285.

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^71.Menuhin and Menuhin, ‘Opening Remarks’.

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^78. See Begin, Correspondences B.

^79.Yediot Ahronot, 20 June 2004.

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^82. lkiv, 22.

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^102.Yediot Aharonot, 9 May 2000.

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^106.Ma'ariv, 22 December 2003.

^107.Zonshine, ‘With a Little Help from Objectors’.

^108. Ibid.

^109. Ibid.

^110. Ibid.

^111.Hakibutz, 25 December 2004.

^112.Haaretz, 16 January 2004.

^113.Yediot Ahronot, 20 June 2004.

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^116.Lebel, ‘Postmodern or Conservative?’.

^117.Levran, ‘The Decline of Israel Deterrence’.

^118.Haaretz, 8 October 2004.

^119.Haaretz, 8 October 2004.

^120.Zonshine, ‘With a Little Help from Objectors’.

^121.Haaretz, 15 August 2012.

^122.Ma'ariv, 25 July 2003.

^123.Ben-Nun, Civic Objection.

^124.Ha'aretz, 16 January 2004.

^125.Zonshine, ‘With a Little Help from Objectors’.

^126.Epstein, ‘The Struggle for Legitimacy’, 347

^127. ‘The Privilege to Say No’, Yesh Gvul, 1989.

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^131.Epstein, ‘The Struggle for Legitimacy’, 338–9.

^132.Haaretz, 8 May 1983.

^133.Yediot Ahronot, 20 June 2004.

^134.Ma'ariv, 22 December 2003.

^135.Zonshine, ‘With a Little Help from Objectors’.

^136. Ibid.

^137. See Leonhard, The Principles of War.

^138. Ibid.

^139. Ibid.

^140.Frost, The Growing Imperative.

^141.Leonhard, The Principles of War, 181.

^142. Ibid.

^143. See Krebs, ‘One Nation Under Arms?’

^144.Frost, The Growing Imperative, 357.

^145.Rosen, Societies and Military Power.

^146.Pail, ‘There is a Limit’.