Fmr. National Security adviser: Israel’s objectives are met; now it must secure victory

The strike in the Gaza Strip bolstered Israeli deterrence and showed that Israel’s domestic strife won’t impact its actions on national security. Now we must make sure the terrorists’ response from Gaza won’t offset Israel’s accomplishments.

By Meir Ben Shabbat, INN      10.5.2

We must:

1. Maximize our defense so that the death count is minimal. Beyond simply saving lives, this will deny the enemy success and make sure that when the operation is over, they remain beaten down and without accomplishments to point to.

2. Focus on PIJ, while preparing for Hamas to enter the fighting. Hamas should think twice before it joins the fray; if Israel picks up signals it is about to do so, it must take a proactive stance by targeting its leaders and facilities.

3. Severely undermine the capabilities of the adversaries and their commanders. To ensure a quick end to the fighting, Israel must employ its full force right at the start. Incrementalism will only lead to this operation dragging on more than necessary.

4. Halt the delivery of goods and other shipments to the Gaza Strip from Israel and Egypt (except essential humanitarian supplies) to pressure Hamas and PIJ.

5. Focus our fire on the southern front even as we keep a watchful and threatening eye on the north. It is safe to assume that Hamas will try to send Israel a response from the north, in an attempt to open a second front and bog it down in a clash with Hezbollah.

6. Staying alert and acting quickly when violent nationalist incidents take place within Israel. Israel must not allow a “domestic front” to emerge against the backdrop of this conflagration or due to the incitement surrounding Nakba Day (the “Catastrophe Day” marked by Arabs on the Gregorian date of Israel’s founding, May 15), or Jerusalem Day next week.

Meir Ben Shabbat is head of the Misgav Institute for National Security & Zionist Strategy, in Jerusalem. He served as Israel’s national security adviser and head of the National Security Council between 2017 and 2021, and prior to that for 30 years in the Israel Security Agency.