Caught With Its Pants Down, By Yoel Marcus (Haaretz)
Excerpts;
The first thought that came to mind when I heard the Reshet Bet radio announcer say that the chief of staff had headed for his underground war room, a.k.a “the pit,” after the kidnapping of two soldiers by Hezbollah, was that he had gone there to hide in shame. Two embarrassing military bungles in less than a month, dictating a prisoner-release deal from the outset, is simply intolerable.
Our illustrious army, one of the most advanced in the world… has been caught twice with its pants down, in scenarios that had been foreseen. Major General Giora Eiland offered a blow-by-blow description of how we fell into a Hamas trap at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite the lessons of the past, despite updated alerts, despite being “prepared” for tunnels being dug by terrorists and possible kidnappings, the alarm was not sounded in time.
Before we had even digested the first bungle, Hezbollah, employing a brilliant but known diversionary tactic, killed eight Israel Defense Forces soldiers and kidnapped two others. For their release, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah brags that Israel will have to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners. With three abducted soldiers in the hands of these two brother organizations, which operate under Iran’s aegis, he has touched a raw nerve. For where in Israel will you find journalists or politicians who will dare to say that we must not give in to blackmail, because doing so will only lead to more kidnappings and more blackmail?
Moshe Arens used to say that you don’t need military intelligence to find out things the enemy has let you know in advance. Nasrallah has said over and over again that Hezbollah was planning to seize hostages. Our generals knew that abductions posed the greatest threat to Israel, because of the myth, still clung to by the IDF, that casualties are never abandoned on the battlefield, not to mention the army’s inability to stand up to parental pressure to free their dear ones, no matter what the cost.
Not long ago, Yedioth Ahronoth published a photo of a soldier sleeping peacefully beside his armored personnel carrier. The caption could have been: “Come get me.”
Could the kidnapping have been prevented? Yes, says ex-general Yossi Peled…. Routine turned into nonchalance. Nasrallah prepared the infrastructure long ago, and now he can say he kept his promise.
The enemy of armies anywhere is routine. On the Lebanon border, as at Kerem Shalom, no procedures should have been allowed to become routine or part of the daily grind. It is unthinkable that an army as big and smart as the IDF should wake up one day and find that the terrorists have beaten it in the creativity department. We cannot accept the mantra that it was impossible to prevent what happened.
As for the chief of staff, when he comes out of that war room, the first thing he should do is go to the synagogue and thank God that he doesn’t have Winston Churchill the general-slayer for his prime minister.
Inquiry: Navy Was Unaware of Missile Threat, By Hanan Greenberg (Ynet)
Excerpts;
Brigadier-General Noam Page of the Navy said in a press conference Saturday that the Navy was unaware that a missile threat existed in the sector, and that the boat’s crew had acted accordingly.
Missile boats are equipped with a missile interception system capable of automatically intercepting any missile or aircraft approaching it. However, as the boat was operating in an area where a large number of IDF planes were present, the Navy had refrained from activating the system.
Navy sources said that had they known the Hizbullah was in possession of missiles of the type used against the boat Saturday, the missile interception system would have been turned on.
Senior IDF Commanders: Rockets May Strike Tel Aviv
Continued Efforts to Fire Rockets in Samaria
‘West Bank Rocket War’, Aaron Klein
Excerpt;
Abu Oudai, a chief rocket coordinator for the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Judea and Samaria…. claimed major Israeli cities and the country’s international airport would eventually become Palestinian rocket targets, particularly following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s planned withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, which borders Israel’s main population centers.
Commentary;
But events on the ground have in fact predated “realignment.” The IDF therefore has been caught unawares, and with an OJT Defense Minister to boot. For context, click on this important article by Moshe Feiglin. MB