Israel Between What’s Bitter and What’s More Biting

Friday 14 August 2009

Israel Between What’s Bitter and What’s More Biting

Israel Between What’s Bitter and What’s More Biting
Mohamad Shmaysani

Fateh-110 Missile

14/08/2009 The growing power of Hezbollah in the wake of the July 2006 war has been one of the main concerns in Israel as the so called ‘Second Lebanon War’ that was launched to crush the Islamic Resistance backlashed and had devastating repercussions in Tel Aviv. Israeli political and military echelons as well as intelligence bodies conceded defeat even before the Winograd Committee Report formally established it. Israel also admitted that Hezbollah has succeeded in the past three years in building a massive, advanced and powerful missile system that accurately covers every inch of occupied Palestine with a significant destructive ability.

“Since the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah has tripled the number of its missiles that can now reach cities as Beersheva and Dimona,” Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

“Among Hezbollah’s missiles are heavy ones equipped with a guiding system such as the Fateh - 110 missile that can cover a range of 250 kilometers with a 500 kilogram warhead. Such missile is capable of very accurately hitting and destroying whole building blocs. Therefore, the Israeli army’s ability to deploy reserve soldiers and to direct IAF operations will be extremely complicated. This is why, in any future confrontation, we will see the IAF pulling back to the south to avoid such missiles,” Alon Bin David, an Israeli military expert, told Israeli television.

“We have to ask ourselves: Are we ready to cope with the expanding power of Hezbollah or are we going to take the initiative to counter it? This is problematic knowing that when Hezbollah decides something, no one can stand in its way,” Ami Dror, the former head of the research department in the Israeli military intelligence, said during a television interview.

Hezbollah’s missile system has been Israel’s main concern but not its worst nightmare. There have been speculations in Israel that Hezbollah now possesses effective air defense systems that, if true, could strip Israel of its main element of superiority: Its air force.

“Israel has conveyed a strong warning to Syria not to transfer air defense batteries to Hezbollah. There is serious concern in Israel that such systems could reach Hezbollah’s hands and could restrain the IAF’s reconnaissance operations over Lebanon,” Ehud Yaari, an Israeli expert in Arab affairs told Israeli television.

Confusion in Israel has been evident, especially when the Israeli security institution is sparing no effort to study every possible option to counter “Hezbollah’s growing force.” This indicates that recent threats by Israeli leaders only reflect Tel Aviv’s state of staggering between what’s bitter and what’s more biting.

Hezbollah warned Israeli that Hezbollah has been preparing itself on every level to face any future aggression, with more trained fighters and more surprises.