News  Magazine
'Hundreds of strikes without retaliation—this shows extent of IDF's deterrence'
Yoav Zitun, Attila Somfalvi, Gido Ran
Published: 06.10.17, 12:13
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
22 Talkbacks for this article
1. 1973 war has unprecedentedly shaken Israel
observer ,   Egypt   (10.06.17)

In Israel during the 1973 war, the casualty rate was high. Per capita, Israel suffered three times as many casualties in 3 weeks of fighting as the United States did during almost a decade of fighting in Vietnam. The 10th of Ramadan War went down in Israel's history as a qualified failure. The surprise rankled; and the cost was heavy: 2,688 soldiers fell. Israeli Brigade Commander Colonel Shoham was killed during the second day of fighting, along with his second in command and their Operations Officer (each in a separate tank). Israel's army deterrent capacity had been weakened as a result of the war. The intense fighting in 1973, produced a high ratio of psychiatric cases, with figures ranging from 12.3% to 23.1% of all nonfatal casualties. Israel's army had to develop doctrine for treating battle stress victims AFTER the war. Many reservists served much longer than three weeks. In 1967, Israel's army began demobilizing major units two days after the cessation of hostilities; but in 1973, Israel faced a very different war termination. The failure of the army and government (so called machdal or blunder) resulted in a growing avalanche of protests.
2. moishe rabeynu
moishe   (10.06.17)
best defence is a constant offence. pity that resources could not be spent on better economy by Iran and dependant subordinates. war is good business. it employs lots of people and keeps lots of minds occupied.
3. Great article, but...
David ,   Hartford USA   (10.06.17)
the 'unbearable price' that Hamas or Hezbollah would pay is not that high for them, because getting killed while performing jihad is the greatest honor a Muslim can perform. Becoming a martyr, enjoying an afterlife with all those big-eyed big-chested virgins, all while killing Israelis, is a win-win choice for them.

In WWII, you knew the Japanese would throw away their lives trying to kill you. The same mentality is operating here. The 'unbearable cost' is not so unbearable to Hamas and Hezbollah. THAT should always be on your mind.
4. less said about "no response" from the enemy, the better...
Rafi ,   US   (10.06.17)
let sleeping dogs lie...
5. in 1973, Israel's troops were BESIEGED; facts not fiction
observer ,   Egypt   (10.06.17)
Supplies, were reaching the third army in so many roots outnumbering the official single rout, for strategic reason! Proof? Israelis could never advance the offensive and were QUICK to disengage to the east after few months deep inside Sinai leaving the Sinai narrow bottle neck of Matla path and others. In 1973, over 2.800 Israeli soldiers had been killed, at least 7,500 had been wounded, and some 500 had become POW. If the US had experienced equivalent losses in the Vietnam war, it would have suffered 200,000 American dead- a figure four times the actual number.
1-suez-cairo road was under the Egyptians' control as there were full two divisions 16th mechanized and 4th armored repulsed any Israeli forces tried to get closer to the road as the Israeli commander who fought the war say.
2-the Israeli forces were the forces entrapped as the rear of Israeli wedge was under control of the Egyptians as Sharon failed for three times to occupy Missouri, which dominated the heights north of the Great Bitter Lake, was important for keeping the yard and bridge out of Egyptian artillery range. Thus the Israeli supply lines was under control of the Egyptian armed forces.
3-the Egyptian 3rd army didn't ever never got entrapped as there were Egyptian forces controlling southern of the bitter lakes and was able to repulse the Israeli for many times and thus the 3rd army entrapped the Israeli not the Israeli entrapped the Egyptians .
4-Two Egyptian divisions were assigned to repulse the Israeli beside the Egyptian 1st field army was behind them and didn't joined the battles yet.
5-It was estimated by Israelis that the 3rd army was 30000 man with 300 tanks and 300 artillery pieces. Sharon division lost most of its power and only less than 100 remained for him and Magen division was only 80 tanks. Adan was the one assigned for the main missions and engaged the main battles which is a fact while Sharon and Magen divisions weren't primary forces which means Adan's losses must be greater than Sharon and Magen divisions , and again less then 100 remained for Sharon out of his division which is supposed to be 280 tanks , and less than 80 tanks remained for Magen out of his division which is supposed to be 380 tanks. so is it reasonable that those Israeli tanks less than 200 tanks were not able to surround an army with 300 tanks beside the 1st field army west of these Israeli forces beside those two divisions 16th and 4th which was entrapping the Israelis.
6. Part II
observer ,   egypt   (10.06.17)
Israel declaring war in 67. Sharon gave his orders of concentrated armored counter attack against the Egyptian forces east of the canal specially in the area of "Qantara Sharq" which caused Israel a crushing defeat in this day which ended with the total destruction of the 190th armored brigade and its commander Assaf Yagori fall as prisoner in the Egyptians hands, and after this massive defeats Gen. Gonen was dismissed of his job as a commander of the southern front and the mission was assigned for general Haiem Barlev , and after continuous pressure from Sharon general Barlev ordered a series of counter attacks trying to cut the Egyptian forces and reach the east bank of the canal , and all of these attacks ended with completely fail as usual and destruction of Israeli forces in such a way Israel never saw before and the fall of large numbers of Israeli officers and soldiers as prisoners , and because of this Sharon gave his orders of complete halt of offense and to take defensive positions instead of failure attacks, Some rare records which the Agranat commission assigned to investigate Israel's defeat ensured that Ariel Sharon himself was the one who told the Israelis in some strongholds of Barlev line that the Israeli forces under his command is unable to help them and it's their derision to surrender to the Egyptians or try to escape to the Israeli lines if they could, The gap operation costed Israel massive losses in men and equipment. The Israeli high command confirmed that it gave its orders for three times to pull back completely from the Israeli pocket west of the canal because of the massive loses an Israeli military witness said to the Agrant commission that the Israeli crossing area was the hell itself and the Egyptians were destroying everything moving on the Israeli side and the Israeli soldiers were easy targets for Egyptian artillery. The Israelis west and east of the canal in the gap area were hostages under control of the Egyptian forces , and this political card quickly failed and Israel rapidly withdrew its forces deep into Sinai.
7. Not very impressed with Gadi Eisenkot's views & analysis
Alexander ,   Tel Aviv   (10.06.17)
It's not clear whether his restrained response reflects an official policy of this administration or if it's his personal political opinions.

The fact that IDF is working to increase the periods of calm for both North and South, and the fact that Israel is responding to specific threats, while not attacking the source of the conflict itself, speaks volumes of the military and political leadership. Either they have a lack of intellectual capabilities, lack of guts or lack of vision, or possibly a combination of all three.

First of all: Israel - Cis-Jordan and Trans-Jordan, is our historical and legal homeland. We should not have diplomatic relations with Jordan, we should not recognize Jordan at all, and we should not alleviate the socio-economic situation of the Gazans and we should not tolerate Arab presence in Cis-Jordan and Trans-Jordan. Jordan has no right to exist and its Arab Citizens should be expelled to the surrounding Arab states. According to international law, Jordan is an ILLEGAL country. Jordan was established by the British empire in blatant violation of international law, at our expense, against our will.

Either we agree that this is our historical and legal homeland or we agree it is not. If it is, I suggest the rightful owners - the Jews - reclaim their historical and legal homeland, establish an unassailable Jewish demographic majority in our land and defensible and greatly expanded borders. This would include expelling the Arabs from Israel within the 1949 armistice line, Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, Gaza, Golan Heights, Southern Lebanon up until the bend of the Litani river and all of Trans-Jordan, and annexation of all lands and territories belonging to Cis-Jordan and Trans-Jordan.

According to International Law, the San Remo treaty and the Anglo-American treaty - two legally binding treaties that stipulate the Jewish state's exact borders, Cis-Jordan and Trans-Jordan is the territorial property of the Jewish people and the Jewish nation state.

This should be the foundation of our policy.

Second: Instead of dealing with specific threats and passively waiting for the enemy to rebuild their capabilities, Israel needs to ask itself two important questions: "What is the conflict itself about?" and "Why does the conflict never end?"

The conflict is about the Arab world's, Turkey's and Iran's refusal to accept Israel's right to exist as an independent and sovereign Jewish nation state within any border at all, and the reason the conflict persists year after year, is because well over 90% of the population in most Arab and Moslem states is anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli, and their religious and cultural tapestry - the Koran and the Islam, provide ideological and religiously sanctioned hatred for, persecution of, racism against and genocide on Jews as a nation.

Dealing with particular threats here and there, building a wall here and there, neutralizing Hassan Nasrallah (hopefully very soon), and building up Israel's military capabilities in one specific field, does not change the underlying reasons why this conflict never ends: The Arab and Moslem states are anti-Semitic (well over 90% of their population), their Islamic religion and the Koran provide them with the fuel of their hatred of the Jewish people and the Jewish nation, they don't recognize Israel's right to exist as an independent and sovereign Jewish nation state within any border, Israel refuses to expel the Arabs from its land and to reclaim its historical and legal homeland, and Israel refuses to deal a final lethal blow to its enemies. That's why the conflict never ends.

And thirdly: why would new conscripts be motivated to serve the IDF, if they know in their hearts and minds, that IDF and Israel's political leadership strive for status quo of the very same issues and problems that I mentioned above - problems and issues that neither IDF nor the government seem to be able or willing to solve?

8. next war
earl   (10.06.17)
yes hasssand will fire 15ooo rockets on day one of the next war in an attempt to take some areas of galilee. 25000 hezbollh will cross the border far surpassing idf estimates. the latest russian weapons including antitank, anti aircraft, yakhone antiship missiles and the s300 on top of surprises and dirty fighting. hezbollah dresses as idf and as haredi.

so with the brains dug in, and many rockets from dug in position, just use smash and bang will not do it.

israel has to get the press out and fight asymmetrically and dirty. it is the way the ruskis defeated the nazis and broke the german people support of the 3rd reich.

bibi cannot handle this and that is for sure. in fact bibi will not be making the decisions in the next war and if he tries to go slowly, he will be removed and detained. he will not make any decisions on war since his performance in 2 gaza wars has been anemic.

Yet eisencott, galant and blood in the mouth lieberman can. and lieberman will not worry about lebanese casuaties. the spring is coiled. get ready.
Back to article