Call for Papers: The Struggle in the Israeli Security Zone in South Lebanon, 1985-2000
Special Issue for Israel Affairs
December 2022
In June 1985, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) de jure completed its withdrawal from Lebanon to the Israeli borders. De facto, Israel left in its hands a strip of land, about 15 kilometers from its border, in which its ally, the South Lebanon Army (SLA), operated. This strip of land came to be known as the Israeli Security Zone. The idea was that the SLA would be almost independent, while the IDF would intervene only when necessary in the battle against Palestinian and Shiite groups and supervise the SLA. Soon, however, the IDF became more involved, building military posts within the Security Zone, reinforcing itself, and encountering new challenges. In May 2000, Israel pulled its forces back to its borders and the SLA collapsed, along with the Security Zone.
The 15 years of fighting in the Security Zone were rarely mentioned within Israeli society, let alone in the academic sphere. Only in recent years has the Israeli public become aware of this period after many soldiers who served in the Security Zone began sharing their memories through books and social media. The campaign to raise awareness of the period successfully ended when in March 2021, Israel officially recognized this period as one of warfare. This special issue aims to interdisciplinarily bridge the gap in the academic discourse regarding the war in the Security Zone.
The editors are interested in articles dealing with various topics concerning the 1985-2000 war in the Security Zone, which include – but are not limited to – the following:
- Israel’s policy toward the struggle within the Security Zone: Decision-making, perceptions, and points of view.
- The IDF’s activities, strategies, and military evolution in the Security Zone.
- The SLA’s origins, modus operandi, and military, national, and social challenges.
- The evolution of the struggle between Israel and Hezbollah: Origins, strategy, methods, psychological warfare, etc.
- Impacts of the war in the Security Zone on resilience, morale, and public opinion in Israeli society.
- Israeli-Lebanese bilateral relations during the war: The approaches of different official and non-official actors and their impacts, including their attitudes toward the SLA.
- The influence of the war on the Israeli and Lebanese economies.
- The involvement of other Middle Eastern actors in different aspects of the war: Syria, Iran, the Palestinians, the Arab League, etc.
- The involvement of non-Middle Eastern actors in different aspects of the war: the USA, USSR/Russia, France, etc.
- The UN and the Security Zone war: Policy, involvement, UNIFIL activity, etc.
- The war’s representation in culture: Literature, cinema, art, music, etc.
- The Israeli withdrawal from the Security Zone (May 2000): Causes, decision-making, and impacts.
- The mass media’s coverage of the war and its impact on the course of events.
- NGOs’ activities and impacts on the war.
Proposals on other issues are welcomed and will be considered by the guest co-editors.
Timeline-
Please send a one-page abstract and a short bio to netanel.flamer@biu.ac.il by March 30, 2023. Authors will be notified of their proposal’s acceptance by May 1, 2023. Manuscripts are due by August 30, 2023.
Manuscripts should be up to 7,000 words (including references, figures, and tables). All manuscripts should be formatted following the style of Israel Affairs.
All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed.
Guest co-editors:
Dr. Dan Naor, Department of Middle Eastern Studies/Political Science, Ariel University.
Dr. Netanel Flamer, Department of Middle Eastern Studies, Bar-Ilan University