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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has carefully cultivated a self-image as 'Mr. Security' throughout his political career. His reputation as a security-minded leader has resonated with large swathes of the Israeli public, enabling him to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Yet the Israeli security community has long questioned Netanyahu's approach to national security. The Netanyahu era has seen unprecedented civil-military tensions, while retired generals and former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies, some of whom were appointed by Netanyahu, have publicly rejected both his leadership and his policies. Adapted from the Cambridge University Press book description.
Dr. Guy Ziv will address this intriguing paradox, explaining the mutual distrust and intense disagreements between Netanyahu and the security community, the underlying reasons behind the Israeli public's inattention to the collective judgment of hundreds of ex-generals and former spymasters, and broader implications for Israeli democracy, U.S.-Israel relations, and Israel’s relations with its neighbors.
About the Speaker: Dr. Guy Ziv is an associate professor in the Department of Foreign Policy and Global Security at American University’s School of International Service. Recently, he was appointed Associate Director of the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies at AU. He teaches courses on U.S. foreign policy, international negotiations, U.S.-Israel relations, and Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. His research focuses on foreign policy decision-making, the role of political elites in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and civil-military relations in Israel. Cambridge University Press is publishing his next book in February, which will be entitled Netanyahu vs The Generals: The Battle for Israel’s Future.