Egozi’s Fury – Private Armies?

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Israeli communities along both the northern border and the border with the Gaza Strip are creating so called ’private armies’ to defend themselves. Absurd? So how would you explain that on both fronts, the locals hired private firms to try and detect whether terror tunnels are being dug towards their residences?

Something in the trust between Israelis living in the North and South of the country and the authorities cracked down. They do not trust ’the establishment’ and are taking matters into their own hands.

This is a very serious development, since it points to a deep crisis of trust. No wonder. In Gaza, Hamas is digging tunnels and constructing fortifications, and yet Israel is paralyzed.

In the north too, the Hezbollah is preparing for war, and not that front too, Israel seems to be merely looking on. Local residents are worried, especially seeing as Operation Protective Edge failed in securing its goals.

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Israelis no doubt recall the conduct of the security cabinet during Operation Protective Edge last summer. The internal squabbling between decision makers, leaks and mud throwing once they left the meeting rooms.

Israelis are now seeing how right before their very eyes, the unfolding government lacks basic harmony. What should they expect from the next cabinet, which will sooner or later have to conduct yet another war up north or down south, or elsewhere, further still?

All this is very worrisome and raises hardly any trust.

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Powers that be do not decide but rather respond haphazardly. Last week, the ministry of defense issued a dramatic announcement according to which the production of Israel’s advanced NAMER APC (armored personnel carrier) would resume. They suddenly found the budget. All of the sudden, they realized they cannot send soldiers inti battle in Vietnam era armored vehicles.

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Everything is done willy-nilly. The facts did not change. Even before Operation Protective Edge, they knew the veteran APCs did not offer enough protection. Even back then, they already knew it was imperative to have more well armored vehicles. So what changed?

In Israel, you must experience a disaster so that powers that be get off their back sides and do their job.

This was not an issue of money being allocated. All it took was for someone to take the decision. Problem is, no one in Israel’s establishment is looking beyond the end of their nose each coming day.

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The Assad regime in Syria is about to fall. Israel is merely looking on. This must not happen. We cannot let all those heinous terrorist organizations gain access to Israel’s northern border in the Golan Heights.

Israel must make it clear that right before this happens, it will take action. Nevertheless, Israeli leadership is concerned by what the world might say. This is the same world that is letting Iran fool everyone when it comes to its nuclear program. This is the same world that is forcing Israel to send thousands of tons of cement to Gaza, ostensibly to rebuild the houses. Yet that cement is being used to build fortifications and tunnels.

Do you see the new government taking any courageous steps except talking? I for one do not see this happening.

This “how will the world react” syndrome is paralyzing our leadership. In the past year, this syndrome’s impact has reached unprecedented levels. This is a plague of paralysis which causes Israel to take virtually no decision when it comes to critical, grave matters.