Military focus is paramount

THIS IS WHY ISRAEL AVOIDED A FIGHT IN GAZA

By Mati Tuchfeld, TOI

We have come full circle. Following the disappointment and general sense of bitterness at the lack of action taken in the Gaza Strip despite the barrage of rockets that pummeled Israel in recent weeks and reports that the people of Israel would understand the need to hold fire in the south – a move that earned scattered support among cabinet ministers – everything finally makes sense. After a long period of preparation, the IDF cannot allow the operation to neutralize Hezbollah’s cross-border attack tunnels to be disrupted due to the military being bogged down in a conflict down south.

But now the question surrounding Avigdor Lieberman’s decision to resign as defense minister has become more acute. This is also true of Education Minister Naftali Bennett and his fellow Habayit Hayehudi member and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked’s threat to do the same. Today these moves appear just a little more detached from reality and a little less responsible.

Unlike most of us, these three cabinet members knew what was going on behind the scenes. They knew about the operation to neutralize Hezbollah’s terror tunnels, its timing and its scope. They had heard the IDF’s assessment that the northern and southern fronts could not be optimally managed at the same time and the assurances from senior military officers that once the operation on the northern border came to a close, events in the south would be completely different, in that they would be more aggressive.

One can still criticize the government’s decision to neglect the south and argue that, despite the military’s concerns, it will have severe consequences for both the south and the north. What is not clear is just what went through Lieberman’s head when he resigned. Even if we assume he believed his resignation would lead to early elections and instability for the coalition, the question is: How would an election campaign help him? If anything, the opposite has proven to be true. His irresponsible actions will only serve as material for his rivals’ election campaign.

What was once unthinkable is now reality. While the sense of bitterness over what transpired remains, today, that sense is slightly less intense.