Page 38 - HaMizrachi #15 2019 Chanuka USA

ISRAEL INSIGHT

David M. Weinberg

prepare for war, the right way

srael must prepare simultaneously considered an essential element – the demonstrating its capacity to car-
for a broad range of war scenarios. enemy. ry-out forceful ground offensives.
IThis includes the development of a
credible Israeli capacity to strike Ira- The enemy has learned lessons from Ground maneuver also has a moral
nian nuclear targets; preparation for every confrontation, becoming skilled dimension. It is the duty of the gov-
war on three fronts against an Irani- in denying the IDF accurate intelli- ernment and the military to remove
an-led coalition; the ability to degrade gence and/or minimizing the effects any threat to the home front as quickly
enemy offensive capabilities in the two of pinpoint Israeli firepower. Enemy as possible. A situation in which civil-
Palestinian arenas, and the ability to techniques aimed at undercutting ians become the IDF’s shield is unac-
withstand intense missile wars. the utility of the “Intel-Firepower” ceptable. This amounts to the aban-
approach include fortifying facilities, donment of the civilian population.
In each of these scenarios, it will be going underground, dispersing and Consider the long-term suffering of
vitally important to quickly force an hiding assets, using human shields, Israelis who live in the Gaza envelope.
end to enemy fire on Israel’s popula- and more. Or the daylong shutdown of greater
tion centers; to deny Hezbollah and its Tel Aviv that Islamic Jihad imposed on
Iranian masters, as well as Hamas and In most clashes, a deleterious dynamic Israel in November.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the comfort has repeated itself. At first, Israel suc-
of launching missiles at ease from ter- cessfully launches a salvo of firepower It should be recalled that at the
ritories under their control. based on accurate intelligence gath- beginning of the Palestinian terror
ered over a long period of time. Then campaign of 2000-2001, the govern-
No air defense system will be enough. follows a decline in the quality of tar- ment was unwilling to maneuver
Israel must have ground forces capable geting intelligence with an attendant with ground forces into Palestinian
of swift and crushing maneuvers to reduction in the number of targets cities, and even within the IDF it was
attain decisive outcomes by taking the which justify a strike, and a recovery common wisdom that the capture of
fight deep into enemy territory and by the enemy and a continuation of its significant territory was unnecessary.
breaking its will to fight. attacks against Israel. Hundreds of lives were lost until the

In other words, Israel must bring Subsequent Israeli frustration leads to IDF was sent into the cities of Judea
back the doctrine known as hachra’ah attacks on targets with high collateral and Samaria. Then, indeed, the IDF
(decisive outcome). damage or on useless targets, along- was able to achieve solid security
side an immense effort to acquire new results through ground maneuver.
The recent JISS National Security Plan
(see jiss.org.il) argues against sole reli- quality targets, which can lead to an While no large conventional armies
ance on the “Intel-Firepower” nexus occasional success (but this does not today threaten Israel, the situation
– intelligence, special operations, and alter the general picture). What fol- could change. If a radical Muslim
accurate stand-off firepower – which lows is a prolonged war campaign, Brotherhood regime should rise in a
has been the IDF operational doctrine leading to public anger and frustration country like Egypt, or if the Syrian
since the end of the First Lebanon War and limited ground forces maneuver, army is rebuilt after that country’s
in 1982. not sufficiently effective to bring the civil war, the IDF must be ready. Bear
enemy to the point of collapse. in mind that building ground forces
This approach is an important is a complex process that takes time.
adjunct, not an alternative, to signifi- Consequently, a return to combat Neglecting IDF ground maneuver
cant ground combat. along more traditional lines is inev-
itable in many cases. This means capabilities is, therefore, a dangerous
The equation, “accurate intel multi- maneuvering into enemy territory, gamble.
plied by precision-guided firepower locating and destroying enemy forces. David M. Weinberg is vice president
equals destruction and collapse of the Only this will break the spirit of the of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy
enemy,” has led to suboptimal out- enemy. To restore deterrence, Israel and Security. His personal site is
comes because it has not sufficiently must not shy away from convincingly davidmweinberg.com

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