Ask Haviv Anything Episode 54: Can Israel be both Sparta and Athens? With Dan Schueftan
Oct 23, 2025
Dan Schueftan, an Israeli national security scholar and advisor on the 2005 Gaza disengagement, shares his insights on the complex realities facing Israel and Gaza. He discusses the failures in Israeli strategy leading to recent conflicts, the cultural definitions of 'barbarism,' and the challenge of differentiating between moderate and radical Arab leaders. Schueftan emphasizes the need for military readiness alongside a pluralistic society and argues that true de-radicalization in Gaza is unlikely without local desire. He expresses skepticism about the feasibility of disarming Hamas and underscores the importance of Israeli security.
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Disengagement Was Right, Response Was Weak
- Israel's 2005 Gaza disengagement was strategically correct but failed because Israel did not punish early belligerence forcefully enough.
- Dan Schueftan argues that weak responses from 2005–Oct 7 invited escalation and paid off in October 7's massacre.
Defining The 'Barbarian' Threat
- Schueftan distinguishes 'barbarians' as actors who celebrate death and seek Jewish extermination rather than political compromise.
- He treats Hamas, parts of Hezbollah and radical West Bank elements as such and calls for different strategic responses.
Teaching Diplomats in Abu Dhabi
- Schueftan recounts teaching a weeklong course at the UAE Diplomatic Academy and praises its tolerance model.
- He highlights Abu Dhabi's equal-height church, synagogue, and mosque as an example of constructive pluralism.
