Studies in Generalship Lessons from the Chiefs of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces

The commander, or chief of staff, of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is a prominent public figure in Israel. His decisions, advice, and persona exert direct influence on force design and military strategy, and indirectly impact social, economic, and foreign affairs. This first-ever in-depth comparative study on the role and performance of the IDF chiefs of staff throughout modern Israel’s history offers lessons for practitioners and students of strategy, military history, and leadership everywhere.

Meir Finkel, brigadier general (res.), an armor brigade commander in the Second Lebanon War, is the current head of research and former director of the Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies/IDF J3. He is the author, most recently, of Military Agility: Ensuring Rapid and Effective Transition from Peace to War. Finkel holds an MA in neurobiology and PhDs in evolutionary biology, political science, and prehistoric archaeology. H. R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, where he is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and a lecturer in the Graduate School of Business. He was the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs.