Israel's Top 5 Strategic Goals in 2019

Israel’s Top 5 Strategic Goals in 2019

Posted: January 15th, 2019

By Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin

Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin was chief of Israeli military intelligence from 2006 to 2010 and is now the director of the Institute for National Security Studies. In 1981, as an Israeli Air Force pilot, he participated in Israel’s airstrike on Iraq’s nuclear program.

By Ari Heistein

Ari Heistein served as chief of staff and a research fellow at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Following that, he worked in business development for a cyber intelligence company. Today, he works to bring innovative Israeli startups into the U.S. federal market.

OPINION — Israel is well-positioned as 2019 begins, but it is also primed to face serious challenges over the next twelve months. The following five strategic goals are critical—and achievable—for securing Israel’s future.

First, Israel must foil the Iran-Hezbollah-Syria force building project along its northern border. The Supreme Leader of Iran has made it clear that his ultimate goal is not to deter Israel but to destroy it and his proxy forces and advanced missiles are on the frontlines of those efforts. It is even conceivable that these forces are meant to aid in Iran’s adaptation of North Korea’s script for nuclearization but in the sequel Iran will seek to hold Israel hostage much like North Korea did to South Korea – essentially taking the possibility of a pre-emptive strike to prevent nuclearization.

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