ABSTRACT
The Gulf War caused many Israelis to question previously accepted assumptions and axioms, and seriously challenged some of their most cherished beliefs. The Israeli public came to believe that the home front was secure and safe from serious threat. The Israeli government's policy of restraint is certainly the most significant political event of the war. American-Israeli strategic cooperation on the tactical level undoubtedly reached new heights during the Gulf War. Few Israelis harbored any illusions before the war about the basic hostility and enmity of the Palestinians, in general, and of the Arabs in the Territories in particular, toward Israel. The surveys show a high degree of support for the government during the war and in its immediate aftermath. The Israeli government's policy of restraint is certainly the most significant political event of the war. The Gulf War also contributed significantly to the sense of solidarity and common destiny among the various segments of the population.
