ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an historical outline of the development of the Israeli strategic culture. It analyzes the impact of strategic culture on the process of adaptation in war between 1987 and 2014. The book illuminates the way in which the unique features of the Israeli strategic culture shaped the process of military adaptation at the tactical, operational and strategic level, molding a distinctive 'way of war' that, though marked by successes and failures, ultimately proved effective against Hamas. It then describes Israeli intelligence assessments of the nature and influence of Islamism in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as of the role of Islamic groups in the disturbances. The book focuses on the al-Aqsa intifada, and outlines the shaping and evolution of the Israeli strategy, focusing in particular on the shifting emphasis placed on the fight against the Islamic Resistance Movement.
