53 years after the Yom Kippur War, we find ourselves today in a similar asymmetrical situation where our leaders are unable to transform successes on the battlefield into a politically clear and advantageous peace process.
In 1973, Israelis faced death, the total destruction of their beloved national homeland. It's worth remembering that the Arabs attacked with over 5,500 tanks. On the Suez front, the Egyptians fielded twice as many tanks as Montgomery and Rommel did in the Libyan desert during the Battle of El Alamein; while the Syrians attacked with a force equal to that which Germany launched against France at the time.
The legendary general Moshe Dayan even alluded, in a biblical reference, to the end of the Third Temple. Despite some alarming reports and a serious warning from King Hussein of Jordan about a possible armed conflict, the Arabs surprised the Jewish state for the first time.
The Yom Kippur War shook Israeli society on all levels. It was an "earthquake" in political and military life that no one dared to imagine.
The blind trust of the generals of the time, the contempt for the adversary after its heavy humiliation in the Six Days' War, and the indifference of the Labour government to possible threats, plunged the country into deep discontent and bitter frustration.
The military victory was achieved thanks to unwavering faith, exemplary courage, and solidarity. The fierce fighting brilliantly led by General David Elazar astonished all foreign general staffs. After 18 days of combat, the IDF tanks had reached within 101 km of Cairo and 40 km of Damascus…
And yet, fifty years later, we are repeating the same mistakes and suffering the same consequences. How can we explain that since the IDF's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, both generals and government leaders neglected the intentions of Hamas, this fanatical religious movement, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, capable of the worst cruelties and war crimes? For the first time since the War of Independence, a terrorist organization was allowed to conquer sovereign territory of the State of Israel. More than five thousand Hamas terrorists invaded some twenty towns in the south of the country. They murdered 1,200 people, including the elderly, women, and children, and took 251 soldiers and civilians hostage without the IDF being able to intervene in time and save lives. For several hours, the Israel Defense Forces lost sight of its primary mission: to defend its citizens.
A colossal failure for the army considered the most powerful in the Middle East. The IDF and the Shin Bet did not take preemptive action. For two decades, successive governments believed that Hamas was deterred, that it did not represent a real threat, and that only Iran had become the number one enemy. The IDF's defensive strategy failed in the Gaza Strip, just as it failed at the Suez Canal in 1973.
The Agranat Commission report, published after the Yom Kippur War, overlooked the serious failings of Golda Meir's government and, above all, those of Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. Now, it is time for a commission of inquiry to publish a thorough report on the responsibility of the current government, and particularly that of the Prime Minister.
Despite military successes and those of the Mossad, we are making no progress diplomatically or in the media. We find ourselves at an impasse and isolated on the international stage due to a lack of political strategy, grotesque politicization, and a lack of close coordination between all ministries, particularly those of Defense and Foreign Affairs.
Unfortunately, our Hasbara has failed, and therefore it is crucial and urgent to create a new, effective and credible public diplomacy, whose duty is to react quickly with solid arguments against all the manipulations and lies of our detractors.
We must also admit that we are partly responsible for our diplomatic isolation. How can we explain the politically motivated appointments made so lightly? Is it conceivable to leave the ambassadorship in London vacant for several months? Why neglect dialogue and show contempt for a permanent member state of the Security Council? How can we fail to control the chaos sown by a Jewish anarchist group in Judea and Samaria? How can we also fail to react to the activities of pro-Palestinian NGOs, all of which are funded by the European Union?
These days, as the Knesset elections approach, we are seeing a resurgence of far-left NGOs whose aim is to denigrate the IDF and the Israeli government and accuse them of war crimes.
In the current climate of anti-Israel sentiment and pro-Palestinian blindness, the double-dealing and hypocrisy of all those who claim to speak in the name of freedom of expression and culture is no longer surprising. The propaganda film Naza, which just won the special prize at the Venice Film Festival, is a blatant example among many. How can the director of this 80-minute "documentary" ignore the abominable crimes of Hamas? Furthermore, there is no anonymous investigative report, without evidence, dates, or names of the "actors."
The judges thus rewarded a forger before a delirious courtroom and thunderous applause. The argument that Israeli filmmakers gave soldiers a platform proves absolutely nothing, since the IDF General Staff has categorically denied it, and the rejection is almost unanimous in Israel. And yet, the Haaretz newspaper and 200 Israeli filmmakers support the broadcast of this documentary.
Certainly, all wars are dirty. There are always collateral victims, but unlike Western armies such as France and the United States, each military operation is monitored by a legal advisor in accordance with international law.
Since the First Intifada in 1987, a large proportion of Israeli films have focused on the Israeli-Arab conflict, highlighting the suffering of the Palestinians. This type of film automatically receives positive press and awards abroad, but above all, it facilitates securing funding.
Israeli fringe elements are omnipresent, and they are inexhaustible chatterboxes, especially abroad. It's always the same people who appear in foreign newspapers and on social media. They revel in airing their dirty laundry in public with arrogance and without scruples. They scornfully reject any solidarity, unity, or patriotism. They mock maliciously and respond with a sneer. They always defend their opponent, even when they are wrong.
A uniquely pathetic phenomenon and a genuine complex characterize certain marginalized Israelis. Worse still, they act without remorse or regret in a sensitive and explosive context, always preferring the cause of the adversary, the potential enemy.
In the theatre of the absurd, we saw representatives of these NGOs also at the UN Security Council. These IDF reservists were not there to defend their fellow soldiers who ensure our security and their own day and night, but to denounce, with empty slogans, "the crimes of the occupation in the Palestinian territories and in particular the intricacies of Israeli colonization."
How can we not be outraged by such an undignified attitude from our own compatriots at a time when the IDF is continuing the fight on several fronts and all Israeli diplomats are trying in international forums to thwart false and anti-Israeli resolutions.
