A Strategy for Israel 1982

Jul 3, 2026

Oded Yinon’s 1982 essay argues that Israel needs a new domestic and foreign-policy framework at the start of the 1980s, driven by epochal changes affecting Israel, the region, and the world. It diagnoses the collapse of Western rationalist humanism, the erosion of core moral and political ideals, and the instability of global order. Particular focus is placed on Soviet nuclear doctrine, ocean and Third World ambitions, and resource conflicts, presenting these as the primary existential threat.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

Need for a new framework

Breakdown of Western outlook

Crisis of global order and ideals

Major threat assessment

Soviet military doctrine and nuclear war

Resource struggle and Third World control

A Strategy for Israel from 1982 by Oded Yinon This essay originally appeared in Hebrew in KIVUNIM (Directions), A Journal for Judaism and Zionism; Issue No, 14--Winter, 5742, February 1982, Editor: Yoram Beck. Editorial Committee: Eli Eyal, Yoram Beck, Amnon Hadari, Yohanan Manor, Elieser Schweid. Published by the Department ofPublicity/The World Zionist Organization, Jerusalem. At the outset of the nineteen eighties the State of Israel is in need of a new perspective as to its place, its aims and national targets, at home and abroad. This need has become even more vital due to a number of central processes which the country, the region and the world are undergoing. We are living today in the early stages of a new epoch in human history which is not at all similar to its predecessor, and its characteristics are totally different from what we have hitherto known. That is why we need an understanding of the central processes which typify this historical epoch on the one hand, and on the other hand we need a world outlook and an operational strategy in accordance with the new conditions. The existence, prosperity and steadfastness of the Jewish state will depend upon its ability to adopt a new framework for its domestic and foreign affairs. This epoch is characterized by several traits which we can already diagnose, and which symbolize a genuine revolution in our present lifestyle. The dominant process is the breakdown of the rationalist, humanist outlook as the major cornerstone supporting the life and achievements of Western civilization since the Renaissance. The political, social and economic views which have emanated from this foundation have been based on several "truths" which are presently disappearing--for example, the view that man as an individual is the center of the universe and everything exists in order to fulfill his basic material needs. This position is being invalidated in the present when it has become clear that the amount of resources in the cosmos does not meet Man's requirements, his economic needs or his demographic constraints. In a world in which there are four billion human beings and economic and energy resources which do not grow proportionally to meet the needs of mankind, it is unrealistic to expect to fulfill the main requirement of Western Society, i.e. the wish and aspiration for boundless consumption. The view that ethics plays no part in determining the direction Man takes, but rather his material needs do--that view is becoming prevalent today as we see a world in which nearly all values are disappearing. We are losing the ability to assess the simplest things, especially when they concern the simple question of what is Good and what is Evil. The vision of man's limitless aspirations and abilities shrinks in the face of the sad facts of life, when we witness the break-up of world order around us. The view which promises liberty and freedom to mankind seems absurd in light of the sad fact that three fourths of the human race lives under totalitarian regimes. The views concerning equality and social justice have been transformed by socialism and especially by Communism into a laughing stock. There is no argument as to the truth of these two ideas, but it is clear that they have not been put into practice properly and the majority of mankind has lost the liberty, the freedom and the opportunity for equality and justice. In this nuclear world in which we are (still) living in relative peace for thirty years, the concept of peace and coexistence among nations has no meaning when a superpower like the USSR holds a military and political doctrine of the sort it has: that not only is a nuclear war possible and necessary in order to achieve the ends of Marxism, but that it is possible to survive after it, not to speak of the fact that one can be victorious in it.2 The essential concepts of human society, especially those of the West, are undergoing a change due to politica

FAQs

Why does the essay argue Israel needs a new perspective in the early 1980s?

It claims Israel requires an updated operational strategy because major central processes are reshaping the country, the region, and the world, and the Jewish state’s stability depends on adopting a new framework for domestic and foreign affairs.

Which changes in Western society does the essay highlight?

It describes the breakdown of the rationalist humanist worldview, the fading of previously accepted “truths,” and the loss of the ability to judge fundamental moral distinctions such as good and evil.

What does the essay identify as the main threat to Israel and the Western world?

It emphasizes Soviet nuclear doctrine and related strategic concepts—control of oceans and mineral-rich areas, the idea that nuclear war can be won and survived—and links these to global confrontations over resources.

Jul 3, 2026

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