That Israeli militarism is rarely discussed beyond the parameters of the “Arab-Israeli conflict” may seem perfectly natural. When the Israeli army is not engaged in an all-out assault on the Palestinian territories, it’s busy conducting lethal raids into the West Bank or sending surveillance drones to fly over eternally terrorized Gaza. So it’s easy to view the relentless infliction of suffering on Palestinians — or, on occasion, Israel’s neighbor — as its sole function.

But stubbornly limiting the geographic parameters of Israeli militarism is misleading — not only because the Israeli defense sector is extensively enmeshed in an array of global conflicts, but because the “Arab-Israeli conflict” itself is informed by an industry that has successfully escaped indictment for its role in fomenting insecurity.

Consider the current crossroads in the West Bank: Heightened clashes in the West Bank, increasing public support for armed resistance and renewed mobilization of military factions have led even cautious observers to anticipate what would be a “Third Intifada.” Israel’s gestures towards “preventing” an uprising are dubious in light of its withholding tax and tariff funds owed to the Palestinian Authority — responsible for salaries to over 150,000 public workers in the West Bank.