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Former military intelligence chief: Hezbollah poses greatest threat to Israel
The former head of Israel’s military intelligence yesterday presented the country’s president with an annual security assessment, which highlights Hezbollah as the country’s most potent threat.
Maj Gen (res.) Amos Yadlin presented President Reuven Rivlin with the strategic assessment for 2016 – 2017 on behalf of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), which he now leads.
The report argues that Hezbollah still represents the most serious conventional threat to Israel’s security. It details Hezbollah’s long-range missiles, precision missiles, attack and suicide drones, advanced sea-to-air missiles, Russian-manufactured air defences, and infantry units training to capture Israeli territory in a future conflict.
Other assessments have estimated that Hezbollah has an arsenal of around 100,000 rockets with a range covering all of Israel. Israeli military officials also recently estimated that there are 10,000 Hezbollah positions, including infrastructure and armaments, placed within 200 villages and towns close to the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The INSS report also says that Iran poses the second most serious security threat to Israel. Although the 2015 nuclear deal has given Israel short-term respite, the report says the deal gives Iran time to develop its conventional weapons arsenal which will make Iran a stronger adversary in the mid to long-term.
Hamas is ranked as the third most potent threat to Israel. Although conflict with Hamas has been minimal since Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the report says that Hamas is rebuilding its weapons arsenal and that violent incidents or a socio-economic crisis in Gaza could lead to future conflict with Israel.
The report adds that although Israel finds itself in a position of relative military strength, “the Israeli leadership must not avoid discussions and hard decisions” and must “stop the gradual descent” into “one state for two peoples”. In particular, the current situation “erroneously referred to as the ‘status quo,’ will reduce Israel’s options and endanger its future as a Jewish and democratic state”.
Rivlin said the INSS report demonstrates that “sovereignty and security will never be guaranteed by high walls and military might alone”.