Systemic militarisation: How decades of occupation and securitisation shape Israeli society’s tolerance for perpetual war

Palestinian and Mizrahi Jewish communities have long articulated alternatives to militarised governance through frameworks like sumud (steadfastness) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), which centre communal resilience over state violence. Indigenous Bedouin communities in the Negev, despite systemic displacement, have maintained non-violent resistance traditions that challenge the state’s narrative of perpetual existential threat. These perspectives are systematically excluded from policy debates, which privilege securitisation over grassroots peacebuilding.

The militarisation of Israeli society is not a recent phenomenon but a direct legacy of the 1948 Nakba, where the newly formed state institutionalised military rule over Palestinian citizens and expanded through successive wars (1967, 1973, 2006). The 1982 Lebanon War and the First Intifada marked turning points where the state normalised emergency laws, justifying indefinite occupation under the guise of 'temporary security measures.' Historical parallels exist in apartheid South Africa, where the military was used to suppress internal dissent while maintaining global economic integration.

The 'security dilemma' framework, originally developed to explain Cold War tensions, applies to Israel’s regional relations, where each state’s militarisation is framed as a response to the other’s perceived aggression. In Northern Ireland, the British state’s militarised response to the Troubles created a similar cycle of violence that persisted for decades, with civilian populations internalising conflict as an inevitability. The concept of 'permanent war' also resonates in US foreign policy, where the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force has been used to justify 20+ years of continuous conflict, suggesting a global pattern of securitisation.

Studies in political psychology show that prolonged exposure to conflict desensitises populations to violence, a phenomenon observed in Israeli society where support for military actions remains high despite high casualty rates. Neuroscientific research on trauma indicates that societies under chronic threat exhibit heightened amygdala activity, correlating with increased risk acceptance—a mechanism likely exploited by state propaganda. The 'normalisation of deviance' theory from risk management literature explains how incremental escalations (e.g., settlement expansion) become accepted as routine.

Israeli and Palestinian artists like Larissa Sansour and Khaled Jarrar use surrealism and documentary to expose the absurdity of militarised borders, while poets like Mahmoud Darwish and Yehuda Amichai frame war as a rupture in humanity’s spiritual fabric. The concept of 'shalom' (peace) in Jewish tradition is often co-opted by state narratives, but Kabbalistic teachings on tikkun (repair) offer a counter-narrative of collective healing. Palestinian dabke dance and Jewish Yemenite folk traditions similarly embody communal resilience, yet these cultural expressions are marginalised in favour of martial imagery.

Scenario modelling by the Rand Corporation suggests that Israel’s current trajectory—combined with Iran’s nuclear ambitions—could lead to a regional arms race or direct conflict by 2030, with catastrophic humanitarian and economic consequences. Alternative futures include a 'Cold Peace' model (like North/South Korea) where low-intensity conflict persists indefinitely, or a 'Shared Sovereignty' scenario where joint institutions manage resources and security. The rise of AI-driven surveillance and autonomous weapons systems risks further entrenching militarisation, as seen in Israel’s use of facial recognition in the West Bank.

Mizrahi Jews, who make up 50% of Israel’s Jewish population, have historically faced systemic discrimination and are disproportionately represented in anti-war movements like 'Black Laundry.' Palestinian citizens of Israel, who comprise 20% of the population, are systematically excluded from polls on war, as their opposition to militarism is often criminalised under 'incitement' laws. Women’s peace groups, such as 'Women Wage Peace,' have been sidelined despite evidence that female-led negotiations have higher success rates in conflict resolution.