Fear the Worst: Survival Signals That Protect Israel

How the country predominantly predicts and avoids threats and conflicts — and, in the worst case, uses them for self-defense.

Photo by Levi Meir Clancy

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Israel’s enemies, past and present, seek power (not survival). To harm or damage Israel, therefore, is an attempt at achieving power.

On the other hand, most of Israel’s responses have been that of survival, not power.

Hence why the country has become adept at surviving attacks of all kinds, from full-blown wars (e.g. the War of Independence), to proxy militaries (e.g. Hezbollah), to uprisings and terrorism (e.g. intifadot).

The key to Israel’s endurance is a variety of survival signals that the country’s defense and security establishment leverages, and that the greater public has adopted. In other words, threats and conflicts can predominantly be predicted, avoided and, in the worst case, and used for self-defense.

Here are some interesting examples of how these survival signals come to life: