Last week’s Israeli drone strike on a terror cell did more than neutralize a threat. It “changed the equation again,” according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—and the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack is not the first time Israeli action has reset its deterrence against terrorists.
“In Operation Guardians of the Walls [in 2021), we changed the equation with Hamas. We set it back a decade; Hamas has not fired a single rocket from Gaza at Israeli territory for several years. In Operation Shield and Arrow [in May], we changed the equation with Islamic Jihad when we targeted its leadership in Gaza,” said Netanyahu on Sunday in comments published by Israel.
“Last week, we changed the equation again, this time against the terrorists in Judea and Samaria. The IDF and the security forces used a UAV to target terrorists in Jenin and this a sign of what is to come.”
Netanyahu’s promise that the military will continue to use technology in self-defense was on display earlier that week at the Israeli National Pavilion at the Paris Air Show. There, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant highlighted that Israel’s military tech has a particular threat in mind: Iran.
“Israel’s ability to face threats is determined by the dedicated individuals who tirelessly work to develop state-of-the-art technology… I can confidently affirm that Israel surpasses its adversaries in both defensive and offensive capabilities,” said Gallant in an Israeli press release.
He continued: “Iran is closer than ever to gaining military-nuclear capabilities, and it is conducting a war of attrition against us by engaging in proxy terrorism. This clear strategy aims to destabilize not only the region but also the world. In response to Iran’s efforts, the Israeli defense establishment is working to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, utilizing all the resources at our disposal.”
Over the years, Israel has been believed to be involved in using cyber warfare via the Stuxnet computer virus against Iran’s nuclear program, as well as other acts of sabotage and espionage in an effort to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Gallant noted that the “ongoing and highly challenging battle of intellect” in military technology development “mostly takes place behind the scenes” and in recent years “has been gaining momentum.” Among the advancements impacting the defense industry is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Israel is working on that as well—and much more.
Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir said in the Israeli press release, “Our goal is to spearhead innovative capabilities in energy weapons, space technology and satellites, defense cyber capabilities, and AI technology for defense applications.” Zamir said he and Gallant had plans to engage with defense ministers, defense industry leaders and more during the Paris Air Show to “fortify cooperation and broaden opportunities for collaboration.”
The press release highlighted Israel’s plans to export defense solutions to other nations, something it has already done with Europe, Ukraine, the United States and more. Bezhalel Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, said in the press release that the Israeli pavilion at the Paris Air Show “presents the extraordinary capacity of the Israeli industry, as well as the innovative and effective solutions that respond to the military and security needs of the State of Israel and, as a result, to the needs that are developing around the world.”
Most importantly, Israel’s military advancements are providing improved defense for Israeli civilians with an ever-increasing range of weapons, systems and technology. As Netanyahu said after the UAV strike, “We are taking a vigorous policy that allows the IDF to use all the tools at our disposal to defend the security of the citizens of Israel. I give full backing to our security forces, to our soldiers, who are doing excellent work.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, June 25, 2023)