JERUSALEM (VINnews) — As details of the remarkable attack on Hezbollah terrorists pagers continue to emerge, it is apparent that Israel has scored an incredible tactical success in its war against Iran and its terrorist proxies. Thousands of terrorists were maimed, hundreds seriously injured and a significant amount perished in the sci-fi style attack which defied belief until it happened.
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Yet despite the initial euphoria in Israel over the spectacular way in which Hezbollah suffered a huge setback, without a coordinated attack on Hezbollah’s rocket launchers and weapon sites, the effect of the attack will remain marginal and will do nothing to remove the threat of the terrorist organization or enable tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes.
As journalist Nir Kipnis rightly pointed out on the Walla news site, as the hours tick by and the operation is not followed by other positive steps, it indicates that maybe this was just a ‘whistle in the dark’ of a government which is afraid to do what it has to do (and probably should have done on Oct. 11 last year). The fact that Israel is performing localized attacks, even the most impressive ones, leaves a doubt as to its ability to go on the offensive and achieve victory.
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A similar event occurred just a few weeks ago, when Israel succeeded in blocking thousands of rockets and drones with a ‘surgical’ operation by the air force. Everyone hiding in safe rooms in the north exulted, assuming that the IDF has come to win and remove the threat which is turning their lives into misery.
Yet despite this attack on our sovereignty, nothing occurred in the next few days. Apparently Hezbollah has a strategy but the IDF tends to bite like a mosquito and then disappear.
Tuesday’s incident only amplifies the question: What has Israel gained? Besides the moral victory over Hezbollah, almost nothing. Had Israel performed the operation in the midst of a war, as Hezbollah rushed to send missiles, the effect could have been maximized. It is now reported that the operation was hastily put together after some Hezbollah terrorists suspected that their pagers were bugged. Yet despite the techological brilliance of the operation, there seems to have been no plan in place for how to maximize the effect and destroy enemy capabilities as he lay helpless and in pain.
It therefore seems that the public pressure to ‘do something’ about the woeful situation in the north has led the government to reveal a card in its box of tricks but not to go to a real war against the ballistic missile threat. It is almost as if the government seeks to prove something to the raucous Israeli opposition rather than taking the steps needed to eradicate the more potent threats.
This is extremely worrying, as a government mired in politics during war cannot effectively marshal the force needed to win the war. As Israel is poised to change its Defense Minister for political reasons during a war, an act described as “madness” by the US administration, it must not forget to focus on the goal of the war: Defeating the enemy and destroying his capabilities to harm others.
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Isn’t it fortunate that Hashem is in charge.
I appreciate your opinion but would ask you to consider a far deeper strategy at play. This is a both a tactical and a strategic victory because unless this war is approached differently, it will end like all other wars with a mowed lawn and a moment of peace.
The solution to this war, in all respects a war of information, where PR is more important than battlefield victories, this is a resounding win. This is 5th Generational war, truly a World War in every sense.
To sow fear and paranoia into the hearts of the enemy is far superior than making them into martyrs along with their human shields. They now understand that Israel could and may attack a blind enemy with a few strategic hits to their civilian communications infrastructure at the time of their choosing.
No matter how deep their tunnels, the fear of both being attacked and being blind is a clear strategic shift that no political pressure can offset.
“”As Israel is poised to change its Defense Minister for political reasons during a war, an act described as “madness” by the US administration, it must not forget to focus on the goal of the war:…”
This is the administration that has pulled every trick to unseat the Prime Minister since 2018 & incessantly called for elections in the middle of an existential war. Troops don’t like nor trust Galant, Halevi, & co. They are blamed for weakness leading to war & no one wants to follow their backseat driving instructions into Lebanon.
Well, if traitors like Lapid meet with Obama, and the Ho’ & her Obama managers are pressuring , then this is the result. Israeli government needs to stop kowtowing to them and do the work asap.
Now Hezbollah is terrified of all electronics. That’s a meaningful victory.
When you try to bolster your point by citing the wisdom of the current US leadership—firing Galant is “an act described as ‘madness’ by the US administration”—you lose ALL credibility. Anyone who believes that America’s Democratic administration, led by the hypocritical hapless clowns Biden & Blinken, actually has anything sensible to tell Israel about how to conduct its affairs has utterly lost the plot.
This article raises one salient point: that Israel’s impressive operation will have little to no overall value if it is not the opening shot of a much more massive, effective operation.
…And then the article goes completely off the rails, confusing understandable frustration over Israel’s seeming hesitancy with sounding like those extremists, Right or Left, for whom nothing Israel does is ever smart or effective or kind or tough enough.
How weird & jarring, on this website. If we want to read mindless, reflexive criticism, we can look at the Times of Israel or Haaretz.
Oh get out of here and go fight if you think they’re wrong.
Hundreds of our brothers may die in an op. HaShem yishmor. But you have decided that it’s worth it.
Great job.
Oh, so now VIN makes “opinion” on Mossad and IDF operations defending Israel and attacking our enemies! What next? The Pager Attack was an incredible success -followed up by Massive Airstrikes vs Hez yesterday and today. All this is to degrade and confuse Hez, which now has only 2 cups and a string to communicate. Israel on MAX ALERT , expexting full scale War soon. BIDEN helping to guard Israel w Two Aircraft Carrier strike forces nearby.
What happened to the old days when the Israeli government, and anyone in Israel, would refuse to come with one way or another about any assassinations etc? The best thing he is released and anyone associated with them could have done, would be just to shut that big mouth and not say anything. If they were asked about their involvement, they could have simply said we don’t comment .
And you are?
Well, lots of Hezbullahs lost body parts, and now they are psychologically damaged. Too afraid to pick up a phone, ring a doorbell, flick a lighter, etc.
Hezbullah isn’t in contact one to the other, so infiltration and attack are very possible.
the purpose is to defeat hezbollah, not just to maximize the yield from this one operation. starting a ground invasion, just in order to derive maximum benefit from it, is foolhardiness. and, there are many other avenues which israel should be pursuing, including pressuring unifil to enforce unscr 1701, sabotaging the missiles in storage, and regime change in iran.
The definitions of strategic and tactical are quite similar: moves based on a larger, long-term objective… ‘playing the long game”…
It’s true that if Israel doesn’t follow this up fairly soon with some much larger scale moves, this superficially cool operation will have been almost pointless.
But claiming that it’s already a failure for that reason—simply because Israel didn’t declare war within, say, six hours… that sounds like amateur hour—the silly stuff you hear at the War Strategy Table in every shteeble.
Totally agree