WATCH: Why Giving Up Israeli Territory Is Still A Bad Idea

Illustration: Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen at Parachuting Drill by Israel Defense Forces [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr

Dr. Martin Sherman of The Israel Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) facilitates an in-depth interview with Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen, on the significance of territory in modern warfare and on his disagreements with his IDF colleagues, who endorse far-reaching territorial withdrawal by Israel.

Maj. Gen. Hacohen served for over 40 years in the IDF, commanding troops in battles with Egypt and Syria and serving as a corps commander and a commander of the IDF Military Colleges.

Since his retirement in 2015, he's been active in the public sphere promoting Israel strategic and security interests through his work as a senior research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and at the IISS.

General Cohen discusses two issues of vital importance to Israel’s future: the military and security significance of territory in the post-modern era; and the question of why so many senior military personnel and security personnel seem to be in favor of territorial concessions in promoting Israel's efforts to attain peace and security.