IDF General: Hold Onto The Land We Conquer

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parashath Wayetzei 5772

Writing from Rehovoth...

Israel's Deterrence Rooted in Ability to Conquer Territory
IDF General says Israel's ability to seize land is rooted in its ability to seize land -- and the enemy believing Israel will keep it.

Gavriel Queenann, December 1, 2011

Major General Eyal Eisenberg of the IDF Home Front Command said Thursday that Israel's deterrence is rooted in its ability to conquer foreign territory when attacked.

"A principle pillar of Israel's deterrence is the IDF's maneuverability, and the enemy knowing it will pay the price for attacking us is losing the land we took defending ourselves," Eisenberg told a security conference attended by regional council heads.

"But they must not believe the land will simply be returned to them," he added.

HUH?!

Israel is not doing a very good job of this, is it?

Israel gave back the Sinai.

Israel gave back the Temple Mount.

Israel gave back Jericho, Hevron, Bethlehem, part of the Shomron, not to mention control over several other locations, which are still technically in our hands, such as Ramallah, Shchem, Jenin, Qalqiliya, and the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

Israel gave back Southern Lebanon in 2006. What? You ask. Yes, Southern Lebanon, to the Litani River, is part of the Land of Israel. It makes up the northern parts of the original territories of Asher and Naftali.

I will tell you another reason why it is a good idea to hold onto lands won, besides being a good "deterrent." When The Almighty, Blessed Be He, puts land back into our hands, which He had promised to do, it is a good idea to express gratitude for such, and NOT, I repeat, NOT spit it back into His face.

Eisenberg also discussed changes in IDF war-fighting methods and the necessary changes those would require in Israel's civil defense systems.

Good to hear it, but I will believe it when I see it.

"In the past, Israel was primarily faced with major military confrontations or operational incidents," he said. "Today, we face a terrorist insurgency and other fluid threats - which rely on attrition."

"In the new paradigm, the home front is the weakest and most problematic piece of our national defense," he added.

Eisenberg noted that, since the Second Lebanon War - during which some 4,000 rockets were fired into Israel - that the enemy has constantly sought to increase its missile capacity.

"Missiles pointed toward Israel are targeting her infrastructure and civilian communities," Eisenberg warned. "And the enemy has achieved greater striking power, range, and precision."

Um,...Yeah, I think we knew that.

Eisenberg also said the next war Israel fights will focus on protecting critical infrastructure and continuously providing services that will allow civilians to go about their daily affairs.

He noted five essential pillars needed to maintain readiness for emergencies: ample warning, physical protection, organized local authorities, training and emergency information systems.

We work closely with local authorities - we identified likely scenarios and prepared plans for protecting our communities. In addition, we are working on a pedagogical multi-layered plan for dealing with emergencies, for protecting children in schools."

"We also set up and operate a network of information centers allowing us to send emergency dispatches and instructions for the population."

Um,...is anyone else confused by these last points? Either this is just a poorly written article, trying too hard to get the general to say what the so-called right-wing public would like him to say, or the general, himself, has a flare for stating the obvious.

Still, what is anyone going to do about it? Just talk about it?