Israel’s defense doctrine aims for emasculation, not deterrence

Hamas’ October 7, 2023, paradigm-shifting attack has prompted Israel to change its defense doctrine with devastating consequences for the Middle East.

No longer satisfied with operating on the principle of deterrence, involving regular strikes against Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon, militant Palestinian groups in the West Bank, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Iranian targets in Syria and the Islamic Republic, and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, Israel’s new defense doctrine focuses on militarily emasculating its opponents.

The new doctrine, focused on kinetic rather than negotiated solutions, has driven Israeli military operations since the Hamas attack broke a psychological barrier by successfully breaching Israeli defences and invading Israeli territory.

Hamas and other Palestinians killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack.

Israel’s subsequent decimation of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia and political movement, with little regard for the cost to innocent human lives, offered proof of concept for a strategy that involves killing top leaders and destroying military infrastructure based on the Jewish state’s military and intelligence superiority.

In addition to the devastation of Gaza in a bid to destroy Hamas militarily and politically and the weakening of Hezbollah, Israel has destroyed much of the Syrian military’s arsenal and infrastructure since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. Now, it is targeting Iran’s military command, missile and launcher arsenal, and nuclear facilities.

“The unexpected degree of success…reduced Israeli wariness about launching a similar campaign against Iran, despite expectations that a severe Iranian response might still be forthcoming,” said Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum.

Alarmingly, Israel’s newly conceived dominance-driven military assertiveness has fueled public anger and widespread anticipation of war across the Middle East.