Underground tunnels
Dr. Daphne Richemond-Barak has raised an extremely important point for which we should all be grateful – warnings cannot come too early (“We can’t rule out existence of terror tunnels under Seam Line towns, expert says” by Omer Kapushchevsky, January 9). It is all very well to advise that in 2017, it was released that IDF Southern Command had established a laboratory for locating underground tunnels.
However, Israel has known about tunnels since the 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee when the PLO’s vast arsenal of weapons was found to be stored in underground tunnels.
Since that time it has been reported that underground tunnels were discovered not only from Gaza in 2013, but also from Lebanon into sovereign Israel. What did the laboratory achieve? Very little, in fact, was achieved if you judge by recent results.
Numerous Ofeq Israeli reconnaissance satellites have been launched, starting in 1988, but surveillance of the area of Gaza does not seem to have been a priority to identify tunnel construction. It was known as early as 2001 that USA “Keyhole-class” satellites had a resolution of five to six inches and over Judea and Samaria were capable of detecting all activities.
While such satellites could not read car license plates, they were able to detect if a car had one. While they could not tell a mullah by the length of his beard, they could help analysts figure out how many people are chanting along with him at a street demonstration. And while they could not hover over an area and provide real-time images, other “assets” were capable, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)/drones.
For a long time, US satellites have been taking pictures in stereo-optic pairs, meaning side-by-side images taken at slightly different angles. That permitted intelligence analysts to get a 3-D view, as you would through a child’s stereopticon.
Further, within the last five years, published research has shown UAV thermal cameras using infrared technology are not only able to detect underground cavities but have the capability to identify objects several centimeters in size from a 100 meter distance.
Similar technology has also been used by archeologists to identify buried structures not visible to the naked eye. Additionally, there is Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) that detects underground infrastructure pipes, etc. Hence, it is also possible to detect military underground structures by means of a combination of satellite images, aerial photographs, and other technology.
Israel has a disproportionate large number of Nobel Science prizewinners showing a vast capability to explore new areas of science and engineering. It is disappointing to find that the state has been unable to harness this talent to enable it to detect underground tunnels in the last 42 years, but left its scientists/engineers to research exoteric subjects instead.
COLIN LECI
Jerusalem
Threats we face
It was enlightening to read how Gadi Eisenkot has changed his mind about the defense of Israel (“Has Israel already lost the war to Hezbollah?” by Yaakov Katz, January 19).
Indeed he should “dust off the paper” he himself wrote and remind himself of the threats we face.
Nothing has changed since 1997 except for our reluctance to defeat the enemy.
FREYA BINENFELD
Petah Tikva
Weakness and appeasement
Cookie Schwaeber-Issan (“Blackmail to attain a Palestinian state,” January 19) asks why US Secretary of State Antony Blinken does not recognize the folly of forcing Israel into accepting a Palestinian state under conditions likely to result in future Hamas atrocities. The answer is that this is just one more example of the current administration’s preferred polices of weakness and appeasement.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was ensured when President Biden said that NATO’s response would depend on whether the invasion was a “minor incursion.” He then waived restrictions on Russian oil sales while implementing energy policies that caused world oil prices to sky rocket. Russia was given both permission and wherewithal to invade.
Two years onward, the US has provided Ukraine with weapons sufficient to reach a stalemate, but not the weaponry necessary for victory.
Shortly after October 7, US ships arrived in the Mediterranean to deter Hezbollah from entering the war. Effective deterrence requires both the technical capability to attack and the will to do so if warranted. The US has demonstrated the first element but not the second. Despite mounting attacks on Israel from Lebanon, the ships failed to act.
Iranian proxies have attacked American military installations in Iraq and Syria over 100 times in the past three months. The US has responded with only limited air strikes, and has avoided confronting Iran directly.
After limiting itself to destroying incoming missiles and drones targeting international shipping, the US finally responded against Houthi facilities in Yemen. Even so, these actions seem intended to weaken Houthi military capabilities without defeating the group, let alone confronting their main sponsor – Iran. Recognizing this, the Houthis continue to attack with impunity.
The US administration does not understand the futility of appeasement. Cancellation of the previous administration’s sanctions on Iranian oil sales, release of billions of dollars of frozen funds, and supplication to renew negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program have been counterproductive. Iran continues to fund its terrorist proxies while racing headlong toward nuclear weapons.
The administration’s fear of escalation has caused widespread instability and bloodshed. Israel must not capitulate to Blinken’s call to adopt America’s failed policy of appeasement. We cannot commit suicide for the temporary gratification of an ally which is quickly becoming a paper tiger.
EFRAIM COHEN
Zichron Ya’acov
Burst the bubble
“Unseen scars” by Max Bernstein (January 17) reminded me of a long forgotten Hollywood movie, The Best Years of Our Lives.
Released in 1946, the year after World War II ended, it portrayed the difficulties experienced by returning veterans in adjusting to civilian life. This was long before PTSD was identified and it burst the bubble that everything would automatically be nice and rosy once the soldiers came home.
This is already being experienced here in Israel, as soldiers react to even temporary release from active duty. I heard from one such soldier who had difficulty during the first few days of civilian life of decompressing from a constant state of alert.
Another reservist released to resume his university studies found that he could no longer sit in a classroom setting.We must make the issue of psychological adjustment to civilian life a priority for our returning soldiers.
Emotional support programs should be part of the release process, along with the practical paperwork, right from the beginning, and one should not have to wait to seek them out as an afterthought.
These young people are our next generation, and will be the parents of generations to come. It is for the well-being of the whole country to aid in the successful adjustment of these brave, self-sacrificing young heroes and heroines.
MARION REISS
Beit Shemesh
Enough with the terrorism
I agree with Prime Minister Netanyahu: For the foreseeable future, we Israeli Jews cannot trust any Palestinian organization to constitute a state (“PM warns: ‘Day after Netanyahu’ means a PA-run state,” January 19).
They have massacred us and have repeated their intention to do so again. What’s more, the civilians agree with this attitude. Enough with the terrorism and the rockets; they must be defeated and deradicalized.
Could the Allies have recognized a Nazi German state after WWII?
Maybe in 10 or 20 years when they become civilized, we could accept a Palestinian-run state but not until then.
JACK COHEN
Beersheba