"Tehran and Hezbollah are involved up to their neck – and higher –
in protecting Assad regime," says IDF chief of staff at TA security conference.
By YAAKOV LAPPINIDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz 370(photo credit: Assaf Shilo - Israel Sun)
Tehran is the main focus of the IDF’s activities, and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz said on Monday at a security conference in Tel Aviv.“Iran must be pressured on its nuclear program and global terrorist activities. The focus of our activities in the coming future, and in general, will be Iran,” Gantz said at the conference, held by he Institute for National Security.The Islamic Republic is continuing to “exploit ongoing dialogue to carry out strategic activity” linked to its military nuclear program, the chief of staff said.However, he added, sanctions and international isolation were having a big effect on Tehran, and may yet cause it to decide to change its path.“Iran is striving for regional hegemony. In all of the places it is involved, the implications of its capabilities are far wider than something local or regional,” Gantz stated.Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threatTurning his attention to Syria, he said the country was marked by growing instability in areas where Basher Assad once ruled.“Iran and Hezbollah are involved up to their neck – and higher – in” attempts to safeguard the Syrian regime, while also preparing for a post-Assad future, Gantz said.“Strangely, there is Russian support for Assad,” he added.Noting that some Israeli observers are describing Syria as the new and local Afghanistan, Gantz warned that strategic weapons in the country could fall into the wrong hands.
“We’re not waiting for this future to arrive. We’ve been preparing for it operationally for over a year, throughout the whole of the Golan Heights,” he said.In Lebanon, Hezbollah is growing stronger militarily, yet remains deterred by Israel due to the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Operation Cast Lead in 2009 and Operation Pillar of Defense last year, Gantz argued, adding that the terrorist organization is concerned by the weakening Tehran- Damascus-Beirut axis, and is subject to domestic Lebanese pressure. Nevertheless, it is trying to assist Assad as much as it can, while trying to take hold of weapons and preparing itself for the future, he said.Turning to Gaza, Gantz said that Hamas remains deterred by Israel, and is not interested in losing control of the Strip.“But it’s not the only player. Other terrorist organizations are operating from there. Hamas is trying to restrain them, not always successfully. We of course cannot agree that the reality in Gaza will go back to what it was before Operation Pillar of Defense,” he said, referring to frequent rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and border attacks on military patrols.“We’re trying as much as possible to act wisely between the pedals of responding and not responding. [But] if it won’t be quiet, we can strengthen our deterrence, or take more dramatic steps than the steps we took until now. I hope it’s not needed, but if it is, we won’t hesitate to activate force in this area,” Gantz warned.The IDF does not see an initiative by Israel’s enemies to launch a war against it at this time, but every arena is very sensitive, and the potential for a deterioration that can trigger a war is something the army is preparing itself for, he added.The military is working on increasing the accuracy of its firepower, improving its operational flexibility and strengthening its ability to fight simultaneously on multiple fronts, Gantz said, with one of the central aims being the ability to deal a decisive blow to the enemy and keep rounds of conflicts short.
