Israel is sparking concerns again as they bring out new plans to improve their armed forces. Their already impressive military is seeking to maintain their reputation by restructuring their forces to prepare for what may come in the next few decades.
The plan has been in place for over a year, and is prepared for the potential of a war on multiple fronts which, given Israel’s geopolitical relations, is not an unrealistic concern. A lot of Israel’s neighbours are hostile to the nation due to the aggressive manner in which the nation was founded. The founding of Israel was controversial, but despite being decades later, the state has failed to reach a peaceful existence with its neighbours. Instead, regular border skirmishes have become the norm, and anti-Israel sentiment is popular throughout the Middle East, alongside anti-US and anti-Western views.
This new plan, while preparing Israel for a multi-point attack, is also focused on reducing the timespan of a conflict and limiting the impact on civilians. They seek to be one of the best militaries in the world, improving not only their battlefield technology but also working on artificial intelligence and cyber warfare.
The main barrier facing this plan is the current lack of a government in Israel, as the two recent elections have failed to bring about a majority, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attempts to form a coalition. When the plan is likely to be brought into affect is still questionable.
However, despite Israel’s lack of a government, there is still a significant degree of impetus for a new, improved military strategy after Trump’s assassination of Soleimani in January. The fear of war has sparked a frenzy in the military officials, and the Defence Minister has already approved the plan, with officials and people alike united in defending the state from the very real threat on their doorstep.