Head of the Jerusalem Think Tank Professor Efraim Inbar: IDF must get ready for operations against Hezbollah

The founder of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies (JISS), Professor Efraim Inbar, one of the foremost authorities on conservative strategic studies, has urged Israel to launch a “preventative war against Hezbollah” as part of its plan to counter Iranian dominance in the area.

Inbar claimed in a Jerusalem Post opinion piece that the recent rocket barrage from Lebanon was started by pro-Iran elements in Lebanon who want to “surround Israel with a circle of missile fire to make the lives of its citizens miserable” and “accustom Israel to the dripping of missiles from Palestinian organizations in southern Lebanon.”

Inbar claims that Israel’s foes see the current social upheaval and fractures in Israeli society as weakening its military deterrence since Israel cannot respond militarily while its population is divided.

But “Iran has given Hezbollah over 100,000 missiles, enough to cover the whole land of Israel. Everyone agrees that someone will use the missiles in this sizable arsenal, and Iran is likely to be at least partially successful in its attempts to improve Hezbollah’s missile stockpiles.

According to Professor Inbar, a preemptive war in the North to eliminate the missile stockpiles in the area is the only way to reestablish deterrence and start a reaction to Iranian nuclear activity.

The ongoing unrest in Lebanon and the missile assaults against Israel, according to Inbar, “are an opportunity to begin understanding Israel’s need to take action.”

However, he also notes that such a war started by Israel would need international legitimacy. Israel and the rest of the world must strongly associate Lebanon and Hezbollah with Iranian aggression. Israel may have more latitude to attack due to Tehran’s quick advancement toward the bomb and its growing recognition as a Russian partner fighting in Ukraine.

Inbar, aware that fighting results in losses says that “restoring Israel’s deterrence means utilizing military force. Maintaining deterrence necessitates regular displays of Israeli resolve, practical force usage, and a readiness to accept deaths.

Additionally, such a conflict is necessary to persuade Israel’s Abraham Accords partners that it intends to use military force to further its strategic objectives.

If not, Inbar fears that these friends, like Saudi Arabia, may rely more on Iran than Israel. As a result, “Israel’s opportunity to act is drawing near.”