Hanegbi: Israel Is Facing Security Challenges in 8 Separate Arenas

By Aryeh Stern

​The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud), held a classified meeting on Wednesday with the participation of National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, who gave the committee a comprehensive briefing on the current diplomatic and security issues.

Hanegbi said Israel is currently facing security challenges in eight separate arenas. The main arena, he said, is the war in Gaza. The second is the northern arena, where Israel and Hezbollah are exchanging fire along the border with Lebanon. This, Hanegbi warned, could escalate into a full-blown war unless an agreement is reached through diplomatic means. The third arena is Yemen, from which two threats emanate: the threat of missile fire directed at Israel, and the danger to freedom of navigation in one of the world’s main commercial shipping routes.

The fourth arena, according to Hanegbi, is the “military campaign between wars” in Syria, which is continuing also after the Oct. 7 events. The fifth arena is Iraq, which seeks to participate in the conflict via Shiite militias. The sixth arena is Yehudah and Shomron, where tensions have intensified over the past three months, resulting in intensive activity of Israel’s security forces. The seventh arena, Hanegbi said, is the entire world, where attempts are being made to strike Israeli and Jewish targets. The eighth arena is Iran, which instigates all the other arenas, Hanegbi said in his briefing. Iran, he said, has a hand in all these arenas, be it through funding, arming, directing, or assisting in other ways.

Hanegbi also discussed Israel’s battle in the international legal arena, which culminated with the proceedings instituted by South Africa against the State of Israel before the International Court of Justice. He also mentioned the importance of the defense budget in relation to the current war and future threats, the treatment of the evacuees, and the state’s handling of the immense amount of bereaved families and people who have been physically injured or mentally traumatized. Hanegbi said the most important goal was​ bringing the hostages back from Gaza.

Addressing the day after Hamas, Hanegbi said the Cabinet has already started to discuss it. The Cabinet debate on the matter was delayed because the National Security Council asked for a month and a half postponement in order to conduct thorough and extensive work with all the relevant bodies and elements. As part of this work, 12 main issues and dilemmas were raised that Israel will have to decide on at some point. Hanegbi said the issue calls for serious and comprehensive deliberations, but stressed that is was still too early to talk about the day after Hamas because the terror organization has not been defeated yet.

Committee Chairman MK Edelstein said, “There are vibrant discussions regarding the day after. Well, I will reveal a few things about the day after. On the day after, there will be no Palestinian element that will educate its children to murder Jews. There will be no UNRWA – not in Gaza, not in the [Palestinian] Authority, and not in Yerushalayim. The era of inciting education has ended.

“As for the reserve soldiers, I trust them, and they should trust the country. It is our duty to safeguard their rights and benefits. It cannot be that a business owner who reports for reserve duty and fights to defend the country will get an answer from the state that the money will arrive in July. They need the money now,” said Edelstein.