Ex-adviser to Netanyahu: The era of lightning victories for Israel is over
On October 7, the day the Palestinian attack from the Gaza Strip began, the Israeli army and intelligence received a terrible moral blow.
This was stated by former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Briskin, as reported by PolitNavigator correspondent.
“I, like many analysts, am skeptical about the idea that someone somewhere is now seriously thinking through scenarios for what will happen after the war [with the Palestinians]. This is not because there are not strong enough analysts, but because tactical thinking has long prevailed in Israel. The terrible moral blow that intelligence and the army received should change in this sense the functioning of those structures that should think through the further development of events and the strategy of our actions.
The fact that none of the government officials or military leaders is taking an active part in working to resolve the Gaza problem is justified by the fact that we are in a state of war, when we need to be completely focused on the military operation,” Briskin said in an interview with Izvestia.
He says that the conflict management theory that has long reigned in Israel is that “you can keep it low and avoid what happened to us a little over two weeks ago.”
“There was an opinion that it was impossible to achieve strategic peace with the Palestinians, and therefore the method of conflict management with periodic clashes took root. Israel believed that it was ready for this, that it had built a powerful air defense system with which it could maintain the conflict at a level acceptable to Israeli society.
Now there are different voices about the future of relations with Gaza. There are various proposals, ranging from the Russian model of resolving the Chechen conflict, that is, searching for an ally to build relations with it, and ending with traditional options such as attracting international forces, placing it under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, and so on.
Today it is clear: given the tasks set in the military operation, it will take quite a lot of time. This, unfortunately, is not an option for the lightning wars in which Israel won: 1956, 1967, 1973,” admits Netanyahu’s ex-adviser.
He suggests that a situation is also being considered in which the Israeli army will retain most of the levers of control over the territory of Gaza in its hands.
“This does not mean that Israel will leave troops in the sector, but will retain the opportunity and right to conduct raids and operations, as it works in the West Bank. This situation may continue until a new option for a more permanent settlement of this issue is found,” Briskin concluded.
English version :: Read in English: Former Netanyahu Adviser: Israel's Era of Lightning Victories Is Over