Shmuel Rosner

1 week ago | jewishjournal.com | Shmuel Rosner

With a resumption of the Gaza war brewing, Israel is facing three questions that need urgent answers. First, what does Israel want? Not in the fantastical sense – not in the hope to realize a Trumpian dream to empty Gaza of its inhabitants and build a Riviera on the beach. What does it want in terms of a realistic plan? On Sunday, the cabinet unanimously approved plans to renew the military campaign in Gaza. It approved plans to intensify the fighting and expand the mobilization of reserve forces.

2 weeks ago | jewishjournal.com | Shmuel Rosner

Official days of national remembrance or celebration come with a dual demand: they call for emotion, and they call for ritual. Think of Passover, the holiday we celebrated not long ago. There is the emotion — joy, family warmth, spiritual elevation, or perhaps worry about burnt food and hidden chametz. And there is the ritual — the seder night, with its four cups of wine, its recitation of the Haggadah, its hiding of the afikoman.

2 weeks ago | jewishjournal.com | Shmuel Rosner

The public sentiment is clear: There is a majority of Israelis in favor of ending the war in Gaza — if the hostages are returned. A new poll confirmed it this week, as many others have before. In late March, a poll showed 69% supported “a deal to return all the hostages in exchange for ending the war.”The government’s position is also clear: It will not end the war — even if all the hostages are returned. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated this explicitly last Saturday.

4 weeks ago | jewishjournal.com | Shmuel Rosner

A key takeaway from John Lewis Gaddis’ book “On Grand Strategy” — recommended reading that was translated to Hebrew not long ago — resonates profoundly: a nation fails to achieve its objectives when it does not align its goals with its capabilities. From this principle, all else follows: The Chief of the IDF warns the politicians that there aren’t enough soldiers to fulfill their aspirations.

1 month ago | jewishjournal.com | Shmuel Rosner

These are the two most frightening words in Israeli conversation. Civil War. Or maybe it’s these two? Deep State. Frightening, trendy words. Soon, other expressions will replace them, but these are the ones currently in circulation. We talk about them. In fact, the word “talk” doesn’t quite fit this case. We “utter,” “yell,” “hiss” and”scream.” The threat of a civil war, real or imagined, was recently highlighted by former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak. I wrote about it two weeks ago.