A Study of the Strategic Depth of the Israeli Regime in Middle East؛ Transitioning from Territory to Space

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Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Senior researcher and Director of the Foreign Policy Group of Parliament Research Center

2 Faculty member of Parliament Research Center

Abstract

The post–Operation Al-Aqsa Flood environment in West Asia underscores that traditional interpretations of strategic concepts no longer suffice to explain the Israeli regime’s evolving behavior in its regional surroundings. The accelerated pace and complexity of current developments demand analytical frameworks capable of capturing both situational realities and the fluid dynamics of the contemporary battlespace. Against this backdrop, the study addresses a central question: what components and mechanisms underpin the Israeli regime’s reconfigured conception of “strategic depth” after 7 October? The research therefore aims to delineate the contours of Israel’s emerging strategic doctrine and to examine its conceptual shift from a land-centered understanding of security to a broader spatial logic. The findings indicate that the Israeli regime no longer equates strategic depth with territorial control alone. Instead, it seeks to generate and expand a modern form of “vital space” across West Asia—an idea that exhibits closer conceptual affinity with classical geopolitical notions, especially Karl Haushofer’s Lebensraum, than with conventional territorial definitions. However, the contemporary content of this “space” diverges significantly from its historical antecedents that were either marginal or entirely absent in classical theories. The study concludes that, in response to evolving regional dynamics, the Israeli regime has recalibrated its strategic depth through the integration of territorial, geopolitical, and geoeconomic variables. Consequently, Israel’s strategic depth is more accurately interpreted not as a strictly territorial construct but as an expanded “vital space” that provides the requisite capacities for advancing its updated strategic agenda.

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