The Strategic Challenge of Society-centric Warfare | 2020 | Events

The Strategic Challenge of Society-centric Warfare
Yoni Shimshoni
Jonathan (Yoni) Shimshoni
Visiting Fellow and Research Affiliate, MIT Security Studies Program
March 11, 2020
12-1:30
E40-496, Lucian Pye Conference Room

Abstract

The presentation will explore the centrality of the social dimension in historical and contemporary conflict, its pivotal role in the strategies of all rivals of the West, from ISIS, Hezbollah and Hamas to China and Russia, and the shortfall of Western responses to this challenge. It will discuss dynamics of strategic interaction in such conflict and their implications, and thoughts on how Western states might conceptualize and formulate strategy in this society-centric environment.

Bio

Jonathan (Yoni) Shimshoni served for 25 years with the IDF, in both field command and staff positions, culminating his career as Director of Planning for the Planning Division with the rank of Brigadier General. He received his Ph.D. in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, with a specialty in security policy. Yoni has taught at Princeton and has pursued research on strategic issues at MIT; he has published within the Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, in International Security and in Survival on conventional deterrence, technology, doctrinal innovation and strategy formulation, as well as in the leading Israeli daily (Haaretz). Yoni has served on several committees of the Israeli National Security Council and in the IDF reserves continued to work extensively on challenging security issues – related to economics, technology, strategy and doctrine. In addition to these security and policy related endeavors, Yoni was Managing Partner of PWC Consulting in Israel and led the establishment and management of a start-up company. In 2018-19 He was a Wilson Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, working on societal warfare in the 21st century, a project he is continuing this year as a Visiting Fellow at SSP.