MAKING PEACE

War and Peace

War and peace are the constants of security policy. Chapter 2 has made it clear that Israelis feel secure in the nation's ability to win in war. That a country so beleaguered should find the psychological and moral strength to continue its struggle for security for more than four decades is at least as impressive as Israel's record in successfully recruiting political and material support for its cause. Even though the nation has been preoccupied with war for so many years, there are optimistic overtones in the responses regarding peace and war.

War and peace are matters of social learning as much as they are issues of interest or power decisions. As Boulding (1964, 70) puts it, “Peace, no matter its nature, is a feature of the social system and not of the physical or biological systems. Moreover, it is a feature of some social systems and not of others.” Israelis display a widespread consensus regarding issues of war and peace. The establishment view, taught in the schools and widely accepted in the culture, is that Israelis are peace-seeking, sacrificing, and, at the same time, work industriously to maintain their security because of the hostile environment in which the nation finds itself. Wars are fought in selfdefense, and constant preparedness is a necessity. Even the divisive Lebanese war of 1982 is seen as proving that successful wars must be based on consensus.