From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 6, 2025
‘We’ve known for years that Iran is our greatest threat’: PM reacts to report on IDF budget, force design
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich receive the report of the Nagel Committee, tasked with examining the defense budget and IDF force design, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.
“We have known for years that Iran is our greatest threat, both directly and through its proxies,” says Netanyahu. “We made sure of course to damage the axis, in a very serious way.”
“But we see that it still exists, and that additional forces are entering the field, and we must always be prepared for what is to come.”
The committee began its work in August.
Committee chairman Brigadier General (Res.) Jacob Nagel presents several key findings — Israel must defend itself by itself; Israel’s security will always rely on its qualitative advantage; and war is largely decided in the force-building phase.
The report also backs cultivating Israel’s human capital and makes recommendations for how to attract and keep top-flight talent in the army, and reduce the burden on reservists. It calls for all Israeli citizens to serve equally.
It also urges a move from a pre-October 7 concept of containment and defense to “prevention and readiness,” and building capabilities for preemptive strikes and even preemptive wars.
The Times of Israel Community.