ABSTRACT
The study of Israeli politics is intimately intertwined with the study of civil–military relations. This is so because of the exceptionally important role of the military in Israeli society and politics, due to the disproportionately large military establishment in the country, which in turn is the inevitable product of the protracted and costly Arab–Israeli conflict. Yet the complex relationship between the civilian politicians and the military establishment in Israel has challenged and defied conventional theorizing for a long time. It just does not seem to fit neatly into the ubiquitous boxes of social science typologies, as if to send a message to the effect that there is more to this matter than just applying the well-known categories to this particular case.
