MI chief: Terror groups eye Tel Aviv

by Hagai Einav

Major-General Amos Yadlin says military remains vigilant on all fronts in view of threats by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah; warns enemies have grown to expect international community to tie Israel's hands

Departing Director of Military Intelligence Major-General Amos Yadlin believes Iran, Syria and Hezbollah possess the ability to threaten Tel Aviv.

Yadlin, who spoke Monday at the fourth annual Kibbutz Movement conference, also marking its centennial year, said the greater Tel Aviv area may face missile threats from three fronts. Israel's enemies, he said "are trying to increase their missile arrays in terms of range and accuracy. Tens of thousands of missiles are weapons of terror, not the kind you can conquer land or win a war with."

Turning his attention to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the IDF's intelligent chief said that Iran was the most problematic factor in the efforts to strike regional peace: "This is a radical regime which publicly negates Israel's right to exist, calls for its annihilation, denies the Holocaust and calls for acts of terror against it."

Another threat to Israel in Yadlin's opinion, is the one questioning its very legitimacy. "After Operation Cast Lead, the world stood by the underdog and when Israel manages to achieve a lull in various sectors it damaged it. The international community in quick to find fault in Israel.

"Our enemies expect our hands to be tied, like in the case of the Goldstone Report. This may allow Iran and Hezbollah to continue arming themselves, while hiding in the midst of civilian population. But at any time there are those is the IDF who are devising an answer to any future threat."

Yadlin shared his experiences in office: "My constant challenge is to answer one simple question for the cabinet – 'will we be at war next year?' and I answer, despite not being a prophet, as my name might suggest. As we know, 'from the time the Temple was destroyed, prophecy was given to fools and to young children.'

"I need to explain the probability for war and I can safely say that Israel's deterrence and the IDF's might are stronger than ever. We do no sit idly by and we constantly check the situation, to see whether this is the calm before the storm, or a direct result of our actions.

"We are facing five fronts," he concluded, "And we follow each of them closely."

As for the unavoidable interest in the Galant scandal, Yadlin said that "it seems there has been some warring among brothers in the IDF. As far as I'm concerned, however, the IDF has kept its focus on the various threats in various sectors."

Hagai Einav

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