Israel’s Military Faces Old Challenges in a New Kind of War

Countries caught up in the coronavirus pandemic are using their military forces with various degrees of caution (among democracies) and abandon (among dictatorships). Israel, uniquely, deployed its armed forces early and as part of a whole-of-government approach to dealing with the crisis—with mixed results, so far. Although the Israeli Defense Forces have demonstrated remarkable speed and efficiency in their response, the use of military technology, especially snooping software, is proving controversial.

It’s hard to know if Israel’s experience can be replicated elsewhere. Its system of compulsory military service for men and women is rare. The, IDF with 170,000 active-service personnel and 465,000 reserves, has a high degree of identification with, and popularity among, ordinary Israelis. But equally, the military is loathed by the Palestinian population it polices and blockades—a population the IDF may be required to assist in the event of a major virus outbreak in the West Bank and Gaza.