New Threats
The military chief stressed that Israel faces an evolving terror threat alongside traditional challenges. “The threat of militaries has not disappeared,” he explained. “But other threats are surfacing. Israel is under an increased threat of rockets and missiles, many of which are mobile, concealed, accurate and located in houses and beneath houses.”
While conventional threats have not disappeared, other threats are developing. Lt. Gen. Gantz explained that these changes pose Israel with difficult challenges, but that the IDF has developed the ability to face a large range of threats. In the future, he said, Israel “must prepare to face them, just as it must prepare for traditional warfare.”
The Chief of Staff emphasized the importance of Israel’s advanced intelligence and accurate strike capability. He emphasized that through these advantages and others, Israel has maintained its strategic edge over neighboring terrorist organizations. “Hezbollah is deterred, and it knows what will happen if it threatens us from Lebanon,” Lt. Gen. Gantz asserted. “Hamas in Gaza also understands the price of war.”
People: the Most Important Part of the IDF
“We as a military understand that we are not alone; we are part of the State of Israel,” the Chief of Staff. “We understand the importance of education. Proof of that is Havat haShomer. Our commanders know that they not only have to give their soldiers orders, they have to attend to their welfare.”
“The most important part of the IDF is the soldiers― the people. Each one of them is significant. Every pilot who takes off has a team standing behind him: soldiers from intelligence, logistics and more.”
The Chief of Staff concluded with confidence in the IDF’s capabilities to meet every threat head on, and stated that Israel has two main advantages. “One is tragic but realistic: we have no choice. We have no alternative but to stand here as a strong and united nation.” The second advantage, he explained, is Israel’s people, “who work hard and never stop giving of themselves.”
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