Ex-IOF chiefs: 'Israel' facing 'internal existential threat'

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Five former chiefs of staff of the IOF, according to The Times of "Israel", Ehud Barak, Moshe Yaalon, Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz, and Gadi Eisenkot, argued in a rare joint interview during the inauguration of a library that the disintegration of Israeli internal social cohesion poses a threat to “Israel” greater than Iran turning into a nuclear threshold state.

The five ex-chiefs, during the interview that was aired on Friday, as reported by The Times of "Israel", were asked about the JCPOA agreement revival between the US and Iran. Current Security Minister  Benny Gantz insisted that “Israel will survive regardless of whether an agreement is reached or not." 

“So, I think that the people of Israel will prosper and the State of Israel will continue to be here and we will be the strongest (country in the region),” he said, further insisting that “even if there is an agreement, this is not the end of the story and we will know how to get an ‘upside’ out of anything if we have to. We will defend ourselves and act in our interests no matter what happens."

On the topic of whether “Israel” continues to believe the slogan that Iran will not be allowed, now or ever, to obtain a nuclear weapon, Gantz said he had asked US President Joe Biden whether the US is willing to use force to hinder Iran’s obtaining of a nuclear weapon. The US President said, “as a last resort, but yes,” Gantz claimed. 

He further added that “the Americans, as the leaders of the Western world, should be committed to this matter, not because it is a problem for the State of Israel. It is not our personal problem. As world leaders, they are committed to this and I hope they will stand behind their words,” The Time of "Israel" reported. 

"Israel" and the alleged Iranian nuclear threat

When asked if "Israel" had the ability to attack and shut down Iran's nuclear program, Eisenkot claimed that only ongoing Israeli involvement over the last 25 years had so far stopped it.

Eisenkot argued that “the fact that Iran today does not have a military nuclear capability is only thanks to the thinking 25 years ago and a great deal of action. The Israeli military, political, secret operations, and diplomatic activities — this is what prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear capability.”

He further noted that “there is no debate about the goal — to prevent an Iranian nuclear capability — because it would change the strategic balance in the Middle East in a very serious way. I think everyone agrees on that,” he claimed. 

On his part, Barak was questioned if "Israel" made a mistake by not striking Iran while he was Security Minister under then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was clear, according to The Times of "Israel", that Barak had supported the strike at the time.

In the past, Barak claimed that Netanyahu planned to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in 2010 and 2011 but was thwarted from doing so by his ministerial colleagues, particularly Yaalon and his army chief of staff Ashkenazi as there was no internal agreement within “Israel” given a number possible consequences.

Furthermore, Barak said that a significant failure was the absence of a plan to deal with Iran following former US President Donald Trump’s refusal to pull out of the original nuclear deal.

“One of the historical failures of 2018 is that when Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement  — with very strong encouragement from Jerusalem — Israel and the US should have prepared, together, separately, or in a coordinated manner, at least two ‘plan Bs’ of what to do with the Iranians,” Barak said.

However, he also shared Gantz's views that while "Israel" should continue to do all in its power to halt Iran if that country reaches the nuclear threshold, it will be able to cope with Tehran. 

The existential threat comes from within

Yaalon made a statement, as reported by the Israeli online newspaper, that “Israel’s” greatest existential threat comes from internal strife.

“I say that in the face of the Iranian threat we will know what to do. There has been no conventional existential threat to the State of Israel for years. There is an internal existential threat,” Yaalon admitted.

The newspaper reported that Eisenkot and Barak agreed with Yaalon’s argument, while Gantz and Ashkenazi did not oppose it.

“The thing that most endangers the State of Israel in my eyes is the lack of solidarity in Israeli society,” said Eisenkot, who recently declared that he was going to join Gantz’s political party, adding, “Yes. I think that the national and social resilience of the State of Israel is the key element in our ability to protect national security.”

Barak claimed that “all living chiefs of staff, almost all living Mossad heads and all living Shin Bet chiefs” agreed with Yaalon's argument. 

He further explained, “All the people who are involved in, or were at the head of the security apparatus, understand today that there is a more serious threat to the future of the State of Israel than from Iran, Hezbollah, or Hamas.” 

To consolidate his agreement with Yaalon, Barak said, “This threat is what is happening within us — the risk of losing the internal cohesion, the internal solidarity and slipping into a situation with fanatics on the one hand and those who lose faith in Zionism on the other.”

The discussion also had political connotations because two of the five were actively campaigning against Netanyahu in the impending elections in November and all five had expressed their political opposition to him recently.

When the interviewer questioned the five ex-chiefs about Netanyahu being the "elephant in the room" and that every one of them has been avoiding all mention of him and is actively going to vote against him in the upcoming elections, Barak said, “I suggest that in a conversation about Ben-Gurion, we don’t also talk about Netanyahu. It diminishes the subject of the conversation.” 

Ashkenazi voiced his agreement with Barak and Yaalon and said, “I would add that also the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, except for one, won’t (vote for him) either.” 

It is worth noting that the divide over the Iran nuclear deal runs roughly between Israeli officials, becoming more salient as the US pushes for the deal’s revival.

This dispute has a direct impact today on escalating internal divisions which threaten the occupation’s national security. 

Read more: Bad blood shrouds 'Israel' as top officials fight over Iran deal