Fortress Israel

“The definitive historical and analytical account of the role that Israel’s military has played both in Israel itself and in the wider Middle East.” —Peter L. Bergen, New York Times–bestselling author

Fortress Israel is an epic portrayal of Israel's martial culture—of Sparta presenting itself as Athens. From Israel's founding in 1948, we see a leadership class engaged in an intense ideological struggle over whether to become the “light unto nations,” as envisioned by the early Zionists, or to embrace an ideology of state militarism with the objective of expanding borders and exploiting the weaknesses of the Arabs.

In his first decade as prime minister, David Ben-Gurion conceived of a militarized society, dominated by a powerful defense establishment and capable of defeating the Arabs in serial warfare over many decades. Bound by self-reliance and a stern resolve never to forget the Holocaust, Israel's military elite has prevailed in war but has also at times overpowered Israel's democracy.

Prizewinning journalist Patrick Tyler takes us inside the military culture of Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, and Benjamin Netanyahu, introducing generals who make decisions that trump those of elected leaders and who disdain diplomacy as appeasement or surrender.

Based on a vast array of sources, declassified documents, personal archives, and interviews across the spectrum of Israel's ruling class, Fortress Israel is a remarkable story of character, rivalry, conflict, and the competing impulses for war and for peace in the Middle East.

“If you want to understand Israel’s future—and also how that future may play out in the Middle East—this book is mandatory reading.” —Peter L. Bergen