Kochavi: Cutting defense budget would be 'grave mistake'

Chief of Staff warns against false sense of security as military gears up to fight for Momentum plan budget.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi speaks at a ceremony marking the IDF’s role in the fight against the coronavirus, June 8, 2020. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi speaks at a ceremony marking the IDF’s role in the fight against the coronavirus, June 8, 2020.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned against a false sense of security from the relative calm in the region, saying on Monday that cutting the military’s budget would be a “grave mistake.”
“This is the ‘security paradox’: So long as there is quiet and stability on security, we are inclined to forget how complicated it is to achieve," Kohavi said at a ceremony marking the IDF’s role in the fight against the coronavirus. "As long as there is security stability, a misleading feeling develops that the threats have diminished. And when there is quiet, a feeling develops that we can reduce what is required for our security needs.
“This is a grave mistake that militaries and countries throughout history, including Israel, have paid a heavy price for. Only by maintaining the muscles of the army can we fight and win when called upon,” he said.
Recent operations by the IDF, especially those to catch the killer of 1st Sgt. Amit Ben Yigal, “remind us of the constant and demanding activity that takes place day and night, in all sectors.”
“The IDF continues to prevent and drive out threats with unseen and covert warfare, by physically destroying and by neutralizing capabilities," he added. "These operations happen year round, and they give security and stability to the State of Israel, but they can be taken for granted. They shouldn’t be taken for granted, and they obviously don’t happen by themselves.”
Due to the disastrous repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak on Israel’s economy, the government is expected to cut the defense budget in order to focus and invest in civilian areas. While the IDF has been able to secure NIS 600 million from the transitional government’s budget earlier this year for the military’s Momentum multi-year plan, cuts to the defense budget would make it difficult to fully implement the plan.
Despite the plan not yet having been formally approved by the cabinet and no security budget in place for the coming years, Kochavi told IDF commanders earlier this week that “Momentum is underway and is making progress all over the region. It balances the readiness and transformation challenges, and defines the required mix between offensive investment (70%) and defensive investment (30%).”
The guiding principle for the Momentum multi-year plan is to win any future war as quickly as possible and will see the military using new concepts and methods of warfare that have been adapted to the challenges of the urban battlefield saturated with enemy fire.
During the height of the crisis, the IDF recognized a decrease in hostile enemy activity targeting Israel, including from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip where it’s been the quietest period in years. But all of Israel’s enemies have resumed their actions – and with a second wave of the virus expected to hit in the near future, as well as the possible annexation of the West Bank and Jordan Valley, the military is now also planning for a deterioration of security stability.
The IDF played a major role in the fight against the coronavirus, from running quarantine hotel facilities for those diagnosed with the virus to distributing food, developing technological tools to track and prevent the spread of the virus, and more.
Earlier in the day, top IDF officers met to discuss the military’s initial response and how it is planning the possibility of a second wave.
“You were called up when the pandemic broke out – and you showed up. But truly, the vast majority of you were called up by your own consciences and values, and everywhere and in every way that you were asked to help – you showed up,” Kohavi said at the ceremony on Monday night which recognized the contributions of the IDF and other security agencies in the fight against the coronavirus.


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