Wars must end quickly.
This principle guided Israel’s founders as they developed a military concept for the fledgling state.
Facing a massive and insurmountable demographic imbalance against its Arab adversaries, Israel could only hope to defeat enemy coalitions by mobilizing its society. Reservists, who made up the preponderance of the IDF and without whom offensive maneuver was not possible, would be pulled away from businesses, schools, and families to quickly defeat Arab armies, then return home to restart the economy as rapidly as possible.
Long wars would cost more in casualties, damage the economy, strain family life, allow foreign powers to influence the outcome of the war, and result in growing international campaigns against the Jewish state.
Read the full article at the Times of Israel.
