By advocating geographical security, Netanyahu is reverting to theories of fixed defenses, which have been obsolete since World War II, when the Maginot and Siegfried lines proved surprisingly permeable. The absurdity of the idea was reconfirmed in 1973, when Egyptian forces destroyed the Bar Lev line in a war which engaged air and ground forces. Yet, Israelis remain insecure. They are not threatened at the southern borders, with Egypt, nor at their eastern border, with Jordan. Peace agreements have already been signed.
Threats form Iran and Libya, for instance, also come into play.
Viltai, however, forgot to mention, among the threats to Israel, Israeli policy and policy makers. The outdated, extremist ideologies which hold sway politically and militarily seek to impose a fait accompli by force. Security, for Israelis, is a unilateral privilege, rather than a multilateral arrangement including all states in the region. This understanding of security accounts for Israel s soaring defense costs, which are correlated with political fluctuations. In 1960, Israel s defense budget was 7.9 per cent of its GNP, rising to 25.1 per cent in 1970, 32.1 per cent in 1975, and 22.4 per cent in 1980.