Ofek Riemer

The survival and prosperity of a state depend not only on its military force but also on its internal strength, that is, on the cohesion of society, on the creative and productive forces within it, as well as on the effectiveness of the political, economic, cultural and social institutions that govern and organize it. The values upheld by society, as reflected in domestic and foreign policies, form a core element of the state’s soft power: the image it projects abroad, which can shape the willingness of foreign governments and publics to support it and its policies. In the information age, soft power is a strategic asset that must be cultivated, managed, and safeguarded against external threats, particularly foreign influence and information warfare. This condensed course includes visits to key institutions across Israel’s diplomatic and defense establishments, business sector, and civil society that are engaged in shaping Israel’s image and advancing its national and security interests through traditional, public, and digital diplomacy. We explore the goals, tools, challenges, and opportunities of each actor, with particular attention to the context of the October 7 War, situating these insights within a broader theoretical and comparative framework.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the use of culture, values and norms as explanations for actors’ behavior in the international system has grown more prevalent and sophisticated. In the past three decades, the cultural perspective has made a significant contribution to the study of IR, and in particular to the study of security, as it established itself alongside the "big" paradigms and theories dominating the field. This course focuses on Strategic Culture as one such analytical framework for studying international security, foreign policy and strategy. According to this approach, particular political actors and policymaking elites have unique sets of values, norms, beliefs, and behavioral patterns, to which they have been socialized, that define and shape their strategic and operational preferences. In its first part, the course reviews the literature on culture and strategic culture, presenting a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches for understanding and operationalizing these concepts. In the second part, the course focuses on applying this analytical framework to case studies from the Middle East by learning about the strategic culture of a selection of states, militaries, and armed groups.

Just as intelligence and defense agencies occupy a central role in the security, politics, society, and economy of states, they also play a pivotal role in shaping—and at times, managing—foreign relations between states. On the one hand, they can foster understanding, cooperation, and peace; but on the other, they may sustain conflicts or exacerbate tensions, potentially leading to escalation and war. Therefore, the overt and covert deployment of security and intelligence actors in the management of diplomatic relations forms a crucial aspect of international relations. It is essential to understanding and explaining phenomena within the international system, particularly in the unique Israeli case. This course delves into the realm of defense and intelligence diplomacy, exploring its elements, mechanisms, and purposes, as well as the conditions that lead states to employ it. Additionally, it examines its political consequences and the potential implications for national security and international stability. The course is grounded in the relevant scholarly literature and in case studies that trace the evolution of defense and intelligence diplomacy, from the first defense attachés serving as spies and liaison officers in the European wars of the 18th and 19th centuries to contemporary manifestations of defense diplomacy in the information and digital age, as witnessed in the Russo-Ukrainian War and in Israel's war against Hamas and the Shiite axis.