Former national security advisor and IDF major-general (reserves) Giora Eiland was interviewed by Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet on Thursday, 22 Tammuz 5772 on the sixth anniversary of the 2nd Lebanon War. Eiland is now a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and holds a MBA and BA in economics from Bar Ilan University.

Eiland was asked if Israel is ready today and how would we fare if there is a 3rd Lebanon War.

Eiland, in his usual articulate fashion explained the results will less likely be determined by the scope of the military response than by the decision that must be made today by the political echelon. He stated that what was lacking in the 2nd Lebanon War was a decision defining the enemy. He feels that if there is a 3rd Lebanon War and the response mimics the last, that is to say marking Hizbullah as the enemy without including the Lebanese government, Lebanese army and people would be a colossal and costly error, one that would have profound negative impact on the nation. Actually, Eiland warns if the same mistakes are made, the results on the Israeli homefront will be far more catastrophic.

Eiland acknowledges that yes, the IDF has significantly improved since then, but added “Hizbullah has improved tactically as well, more so than we” and therefore, the key here is to “define the enemy”. This he explained in some detail is not t he job of the military, and not something that is done if and when war occurs, but something that must be done now and today, by the senior government.

This he feels is ‘the’ most important lesson that should have been learned and must be learned from the failures of that war.

When asked to comment on the lack of cooperation between the decision-makers in government and the National Security Council (NSC), as was pointed out in the Winograd Commission’s report on the 2nd Lebanon War, Eiland explained that sadly, this is still the case today.

One case in point was the IDF Navy commando mission against the terrorist ship Mavi Marmara, in which the report on the mission determined there was not enough involvement of the NSC and that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu basically arrived at his decision to go ahead with the mission without consulting with NSC officials.

Eiland, the nation’s first national security advisor, is a highly respected defense, security and intelligence community official and he has always maintained that the senior government has yet to change, to understand the role of a NSC and the importance of this agency in deciding military and tactical operations.

Dan Halutz, who was the IDF chief of staff during the 2nd Lebanon War, also released statements to the media defending his actions in that role. MK Amir Peretz, who was the defense minister during the war, remains silent. Peretz and Halutz were forced to resign after their failures during the war became painfully apparent.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)