Includes bibliographical references and index.

"At a time when the identity of Israel is more uncertain than at any moment since its modern founding, Do What Is Necessary celebrates the defining generation of leaders who took on the task of safeguarding the country's future. David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon were all present at the creation of the new nation, and each faced a threat that directly imperiled the country's existence. The book is a history of those moments when Israel, a country born of existential peril, required extraordinary acts of leadership and strategic judgment to secure its future. The strength its leaders showed, their character and calculation in the most agonizing moments, made them not just the political center of the country but its moral compass too. The leaders were not perfect; sometimes the decisions they made had consequences they could not foresee or control, but they managed to maintain the character of the nation without jeopardizing its survival. Israel is currently more secure than ever in its recent history, but it may be on the verge of sacrificing the essential character that its greatest citizens fought to secure. This is the story of that epic fight"--,Provided by publisher.