Colonel Talia Lankri, former head of the Israeli National Security Directorate, affirmed that there is a growing gap between public expectations and the actual military reality amid ongoing confrontations on multiple fronts. She explained that terms used by the political leadership, such as 'final elimination' and 'total destruction,' do not align with the complexities of the security field faced by the army.
Lankri pointed out in an analysis published by 'Yedioth Ahronoth' that coordinating expectations between leadership and the public is a fundamental condition for resilience in long wars of attrition. She considered that these wars do not usually end with a swift and decisive victory, but rather with extended operations aimed at weakening and deterring, leading to political settlements that ensure long-term stability.
The former security official stressed that organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah are not merely military entities with infrastructure that can be destroyed, but are fundamentally an idea, a deeply rooted ideology, and a broad social and political network. Accordingly, significant military achievements, no matter how powerful, do not necessarily lead to the complete disappearance of these organizations from the scene.
Lankri cited the principle of military thinker Carl Clausewitz, who views war as a continuation of politics by other means, emphasizing the necessity of translating field achievements into clear political objectives. She warned that government promises of 'complete victory' create disappointment among the Israeli public when they encounter the reality that the enemy is still capable of initiative.
Sources mentioned that the political discourse portraying reality as a process of complete elimination of the threat often stems from narrow partisan interests aimed at appealing to voters' emotions. She added that this discourse negatively impacts public trust in the security system, especially when witnessing contradictory field realities, such as the continued intense rocket barrages targeting the Galilee and northern areas.
Regarding realistic goals, Lankri clarified that the objective should focus on inflicting continuous damage to military capabilities, reducing war means, and dismantling the chain of command. She considered success to be preventing direct threats, such as preventing a repeat of the October 7 scenario, and not necessarily completely erasing the organization's existence.
In the northern arena, Lankri identified the main goal as pushing Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' beyond the Litani River to ensure the security of border settlements. She affirmed that this path requires a comprehensive strategy that also targets the 'head of the octopus' in Iran to weaken the ability of regional proxies to operate and coordinate against Israeli interests.
She noted that military operations in Gaza and Lebanon ultimately aim to create buffer zones and reduce risks to the home front, but these remain temporary solutions. She emphasized that true stability will only be achieved through stable political agreements, as military force alone is incapable of ensuring a permanent and comprehensive elimination of security threats.
Colonel Lankri concluded that victory in modern wars against armed organizations is not a pivotal moment where a flag is raised, but rather a continuous process of attrition of capabilities. She called on the Israeli leadership to adopt a more realistic discourse that maintains public trust, instead of being swayed by slogans that could lead to national frustration upon discovering the complexities of strategic reality.
War is a continuation of politics by other means, and when the government promises complete victory while the reality is gradual weakening, a gap arises that undermines public trust.
שתף את דעתך
Former Israeli Security Official: The Gap Widens Between 'Absolute Victory' Slogans and Complex Military Reality