Fortress Israel : the inside story of the military elite who run the country--and why they can't make peace

Summary: An epic portrayal of Israel's martial culture--of Sparta presenting itself as Athens. Tyler takes us inside the military culture of Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, and Benjamin Netanyahu, introducing us to generals who make decisions that trump those of elected leaders and who disdain diplomacy as appeasement or surrender. He shows how this martial culture envelops every family: Israeli youth go through three years of compulsory military service after high school, and are encourage to remain afterward for lasting prestige or a lifelong network, creating a martial outlook so ingrained that Israelis are missing opportunities to make peace even when it is possible to do so. Based on a vast array of sources, declassified documents, personal archives, and interviews across the spectrum of Israel's ruling class, Tyler presents a remarkable story of character, rivalry, conflict, and the competing impulses for war and for peace in the Middle East.