That article hits the nail on the head --excerpt:
Thus, despite the growing inflation rate in Israel, a major part of public expenditures is still used to strengthen the country's military structure. In the 1970s, about 48 per cent of gross domestic product, in the 1980s about 40 per cent of GDP, and in the 1990s more than 25 per cent of GDP, have been appropriated to military outlays. The society is therefore allocating a major part of its national
income on military installations and on supporting militarism. Compared with European countries and considering the domestic level of development, it abides by a minimum amount of welfare provisions. The intra-structural solidarity between the society and the armed forces, as well as the behavioral similarity of the army and the society and the prevalence of identical tendencies in both of them, increase the power of military-security institutions in that area to maintain the expected level of security, in the same way that they contribute to internal solidarity.
Right now, out of five million comprising Israeli society, there are 800,000 active military personnel, 150,000 of whom constitute the regular cadre of the armed forces, while 150,000 are paramilitary forces and 500'000 comprise an organized reserve force that has a military code, fighting units and periodic training. They are the political-military means for advancing the strategic goals of their homeland. They enjoy a high military and ideological morale, as in the Israeli army, besides nationalistic indicators, religious feelings are also relied upon to instigate allegiance to their homeland and to the political system. Even non-religious military personnel believe that the values of Judaism is very effective in improving ethics and in lifting the spirit of the army. [...]
As I said, Israel is a stratocracy whose worst enemy is PEACE. The Israeli establishment doesn't have the slightest interest in fostering peace with its Arab neighbors --so long as their country enjoys superior, unmatched military capabilities. A permanent state of war helps get all the diverse factions within the Israeli fabric get together (against a common non-Jewish bogeyman). It also spurs on the Israeli military-oriented industry to stay at the cutting edge... Military field experience provides Israeli executives with the legitimacy and credentials to cash in on their military career once they switch to a civilian job, etc etc..
Indeed, warfare is Israel's main cash cow.
Gus. |
