Haim Bresheeth-Zabner

"To understand Israel, you must first understand its army David Ben-Gurion, founder and first prime minister of the State of Israel, established that force in 1948 convinced that the 'whole nation is the army'. To his mind, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) would be an army like no other - not merely an instrument of military might but the institution that would transform a diverse, mostly immigrant population into a nation. Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, a writer, academic and Israeli peace activist, charts the evolution of the IDF from the days of the Nakba, through conflicts with Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, to its ongoing assaults on the vulnerable Palestinian population, culminating in the continuing attacks on Gaza. As he shows, the IDF has been the largest, richest and most influential institution in Israel's Jewish society and the Alma Mater of its social, economic, and political ruling class. Today, it is embedded in all aspects of daily life and identity in Israel, including the vast military-industrial complex that drives the national economy. An Army like No Other is an unflinching exploration of the war-driven origins of the Israeli state as well as the on-going story of Israeli militarism."--

How the Israel Defense Forces Made a Nation

An Army Like No Other

A history of the IDF that argues that Israel is a nation formed by its army. The Israeli army, officially named the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), was established in 1948 by David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, who believed that 'the whole nation is the army'. In his mind, the IDF was to be an army like no other. It was the instrument that might transform a diverse population into a new people. Since the foundation of Israel, therefore, the IDF has been the largest, richest and most influential institution in Israel's Jewish society and is the nursery of its social, economic and political ruling class. In this fascinating history, Bresheeth charts the evolution of the IDF from the Nakba to the continued assaults upon Gaza, and shows that the state of Israel has been formed out of its wars. He also gives an account of his own experiences as a young conscript during the 1967 war. He argues that the army is embedded in all aspects of daily life and identity. And that we should not merely see it as a fighting force enjoying an international reputation, but as the central ideological, political and financial institution of Israeli society. As a consequence, we have to reconsider our assumptions on what any kind of peace might look like.

Haim Bresheeth-Zabner

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