It is no coincidence that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant paid a visit to Israel’s border with Lebanon on Tuesday.Despite the ever-present threat emanating from Gaza terror groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the South that could literally explode at any moment, it is the northern border and the threat from Hezbollah that is the current main focus of those tasked with defending the country’s well-being.-
“Do not make a mistake. We do not want war, but we are ready to defend our citizens, our soldiers, and our sovereignty. We will not hesitate to employ all of our power and to attack every meter of Hezbollah and of Lebanon and return Lebanon to the Stone Age,” Gallant said, speaking to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
While there may not be signs of an imminent large-scale attack on Israel, Gallant’s hawkish talk on Tuesday comes after several belligerent incidents in recent months that can only be seen as attempts to challenge Israel’s sovereignty and which have drawn the IDF’s attention.
As Yonah Jeremy Bob reported in Tuesday’s Jerusalem Post, they include Hezbollah sending unarmed supporters briefly across the border to wave flags in Israeli territory, breaking a surveillance camera, and – most notably – building a small tent outpost 27 meters into Israeli territory a few months ago at Mount Dov, where Gallant spoke on Tuesday.
Earlier this year, Hezbollah sent an operative deep into Israel; the terrorist proceeded to plant an improvised explosive device near the Megiddo junction. In April, Hezbollah enabled Hamas to launch 34 rockets from Lebanon into the North during Passover. And in early July, an anti-tank missile was launched from Lebanon, with shrapnel discovered near the village of Ghajar.
Although Israeli officials have been downplaying the significance of the border outpost and seem to be trying to negotiate Hezbollah’s withdrawal from that spot, Gallant’s statements can be seen as a stark warning that larger attempts to undermine the status quo will be met with greater force from Israel.
We have been here before
The warning also comes against the backdrop of how the 2006 war with Hezbollah began. A month after Hamas launched an attack from Gaza in which Gilad Schalit was captured, Hezbollah launched an anti-missile attack on two armored Humvees patrolling the Israeli side of the border fence. The ambush killed three soldiers and two others – Sgt. Eldad Regev and Sgt. Ehud Goldwasser – were abducted by Hezbollah, which sparked the war.
Hezbollah strongman Hassan Nasrallah, emboldened by Israel’s departure from Lebanon in 2000 and by his organization’s belief that it could operate as it wished along the border, underestimated Israel’s response to the attack .
Gallant wants to make it clear that another ‘incident’ like that will be met with the same massive response from the IDF.
Gallant’s warning to Hezbollah also had another subtext. Amid the judicial reform protests that have been raging for seven months, thousands of IDF reservists have announced they will no longer volunteer for service, to express their opposition to the government’s plans.
Israel’s enemies are undoubtedly following the internal Israeli debate closely and might have the mistaken perception that the IDF is now vulnerable.
Gallant on Tuesday said that thinking that Israel can be tested during this time would be a grave mistake. At the same time, a senior IDF commander indicated in an interview this week that the division in the country is starting to have an impact on Israel’s military. “The IDF is ready for war, but there is limited harm in some areas,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Channel 12, mentioning the Israel Air Force as one branch that has been impacted by the reservists’ decision.
We will not hesitate to employ all of our power and to attack every meter of Hezbollah and of Lebanon and return Lebanon to the Stone Age,”
Yoav Gallant, Israel Defense Minister
At the end of the day, however, if Israel were truly threatened – whether by Hezbollah or any of its other arch-enemies – there is little doubt that the country would mobilize, regardless of where reservists stand on the judicial overhaul.
In a crisis, there will be unity, and that is something Hezbollah would do well to bear in mind.