" . . . an original interpretation of the wide-ranging impact of the military on Israeli society . . . one of the most insightful works on Israeli society in general." —Gershon Shafir

From the early days of the Yishuv, militarism and the military have become a way of life for Israelis. Focusing on the period between 1936 and 1956, Uri Ben-Eliezer traces the ways in which military force acquired legitimacy in civilian society and how the use of organized violence became an acceptable solution to conflicts, especially the Arab-Israeli conflict.