A Jewish democracy at war: Attitudes of secular Jewish political parties in Israel toward the question of war (1949-1988)

This article’s main purpose is to illuminate, analyze, and explain, for the first time, the diversity of attitudes that prevailed in Israel between 1949 and 1988 toward the question of war. The Israeli case is particularly interesting because of the fact that the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict continued throughout that entire period. The article's basic contention is that Israel is characterized by a fundamental rift, in the form of an ingrained pattern of controversy, over the question of war. Relying on primary historical sources, brought to light for the first time herein, I have discovered the existence of three sets of attitudes among the Jewish secular political parties in Israel. Each set of attitudes (namely, each political approach) reflects a certain basic outlook toward the implementation of military force. The study reveals the diversity of dilemmas and attitudes regarding the question of when, if at all, Israel should implement military force against Arab states and against the Palestinians.