The Israeli Social-Military Conflict – A “Boiling Democracy”

The symbiosis between the Israeli army – the IDF – and Israeli society, that was forged with the establishment of the State of Israel, is based on a model of a "citizen-soldier" military and has always stood as a pillar of national strength. Yet there are some who claim that since the 1990s, carried on the currents of liberalism introduced into Israeli society, as well as the effects of social post-modernism, this bond has been worn thin. The Israeli government's intention at the beginning of 2023 to enact laws that would change the balance between the Supreme Court and parliament sparked a sweeping protest on part of large swaths of Israeli society, a protest culminating when a group of IDF reservists declared that they would not report for their next call for reserve duty if the reform is enacted. This reality places in question the "citizen-soldier" model, and the importance of the connection between society and the army for the latter's existence. The present study attempts to examine the effects of the deep currents of social protest on the relationship between society and the military. It included 1,200 participants who filled out an online questionnaire and interviews with 30 participants, who shared their opinions on the ultimatum presented by the reservist to the Israeli government. The findings show that a vast majority of Israelis do not support the use that the reservist made of the duty ultimatum; however, a considerable/non-negligible minority was in support of this act. An in-depth examination of social processes in Israel presents a growing conflict between its liberal and traditional-conservative camps, which impacts the resilience of Israeli society and might very well compromise the national security of the State of Israel.