Liberman says IDF ‘more prepared than ever’ for war
While calling army’s level of readiness ‘unprecedented,’ defense minister says there’s still work to do amid growing regional threats
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Monday that the Israel Defense Forces is more prepared than ever for a future military conflict, but would need to continue to improve in order to deal with growing regional threats.
“As someone who has been observing the IDF system since ’96, I can tell you that in terms of the army’s level of preparedness, today the readiness is unprecedented,” Liberman said at a cornerstone laying ceremony for a new IDF campus in Jerusalem.
“I can say with full confidence, to the credit of the chief of staff and the generals of the general staff: We are much more prepared than ever, and this is not the end,” he added.
Despite the army’s high level of preparedness, Liberman said there was more work to be done in order to deal with Israel’s security challenges.
“It is likely we will need to prepare even more in light of developments and in light of the same declarations we all heard again today,” said the defense minister.
Liberman may have been referring to the chief of staff of Iran’s army, who said earlier Monday that “Haifa and Tel Aviv will be razed down to the ground” if “the Zionist regime makes any wrong move.”
Liberman’s remarks came days after the IDF completed its largest drill since the 1990s, with tens of thousands of troops drilling for a war with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group, which the army considers to be its main threat.
During the drill, Liberman issued a stern warning to Hezbollah, saying that a future conflict would “end with a decisive victory for the IDF and the State of Israel.”
The defense minister’s message to Hezbollah came a day after he warned the Syrians, who are also backed by the Islamic Republic, “not to test us.”
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who also spoke at Monday’s event in Jerusalem, said the recent drill was aimed at ensuring the army’s “readiness for any scenario.”
“These days the strategic map is changing without recognition, and the IDF is following developments beyond our borders and working to ensure the fitness of the forces and their readiness for any scenario,” he said. “We will continue to act tirelessly to improve the security situation.”
Referring to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which begins Wednesday evening, Eisenkot said, “This year, the commanders and soldiers of the IDF will also act with determination and strength to fulfill the mission of defending the State of Israel.”
