For at least three decades of its short history, Israel has faced a direct threat from Arab military forces to dismantle the Jewish state. Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion promoted the strategy that responded to the threat faced in June 1967 (the Six Day War) and again in October 1973 (the Yom Kippur War.)

After Israel signed peace accords with Egypt and Jordan, and interim agreements with the Palestinians, the military balance changed by excluding the Arab offensive option. In the last five years after the “Arab Spring,” rapid changes have taken place as Middle Eastern states have broken apart. A new variety of religious radicalism is spreading throughout the region and is bringing devastation to countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. That and the new nuclear reality in Iran paint a different security picture for Israel. In this lecture, Barak Ben Zur will discuss these developments and their serious implications for Israeli National Security.

Dr. Col. (Res.) Barak Ben Zur is the Arnold Distinguished Visiting Chair in Jewish Studies for the Fall of 2015.