For the first time since the Yom Kippur War , the claim that Israel will eventually have no choice and will have to face and defend itself in a multi-arena war is emerging these days. Not only Gaza with Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other organizations, but also with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syria and Iran which is conducting the campaign from afar.
While everyone is talking about military preparedness, all the more so following the recent events and the issue of refusal that came up, an equally important part is the resilience of the citizens on the home front. In all recent wars, the enemy has made it his primary goal to harm civilians and strategic targets in the rear.
That is why the resilience of the home front, its ability to withstand attacks and support the IDF in its operational activities on the front is critical and is a critical component in the ability to win, all the more so in a multi-arena war and in Israel where often the home front is also the front. A good example of civilians coping with attacks on the home front was The ability of the citizens of England to withstand the bombings of the German Air Force in World War II.
The resilience of the home front depends on a number of factors: the duration of the campaign and the achievements of the IDF on the front, the defense and defensive capabilities, the continuity of the functioning of the economy and the provision of services to citizens. Another critical factor is the trust of the public because it is a war in which there is no choice imposed upon it. The war in Ukraine highlighted the importance of social cohesion and national resilience: How a small and weak country manages to face a stronger power than it, despite the fact that it does not have resources such as an Iron Dome, a warning system, offensive weapons and skilled personnel at its disposal.
The State of Israel is a very strong country in terms of the strength and power of the IDF and the readiness of the home front. Israel’s economy is one of the strongest in the world with a high-tech industry and leading innovation. Political processes that have begun in recent years with moderate Arab countries, including the Abraham Accords, the strategic alliance with the United States and other elements - strengthen the ability to deter.On the other hand, Israel is in a political and social crisis both because of the disapproval of parts of Israeli society for the legislative moves led by the government and because of the way in which the IDF reluctantly enters the debate. Much has been said about how the crisis harms the operational capacity and deterrence of the IDF and the security establishment. But we also do not consider the possible damage to the home front’s ability to deal with war and terror scenarios that may befall us.
The political and social crisis must not harm the stability of the home front in the war. The Israeli government must understand the full importance of the broad agreement not only for the purpose of maintaining the operational competence of the army, but also, and no less important, for the purpose of restoring the confidence of the entire Israeli society in the political and security leadership, which will make the following fateful political and security decisions.
But this is the responsibility of the entire Israeli society, and not just the government and politicians. This is the country of all of us and it is the security of all of us. We must unite against any threat regardless of differences of opinion in any field, and repel any enemy who mistakenly thinks that our internal arguments can be exploited and hurt us. This is how we did in the past and this is how we must always behave, in order to win every war against every threat.
