Watch Webinar – Israel at War Update 12/19
As Gaza ceasefire talks reportedly gain steam, Israel continues to grapple with the unfolding Syria situation following the al-Assad regime’s collapse, which Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to as a historic moment in Middle East history and a critical blow to Iran’s axis of evil. Preemptively hedging against emerging threats, the Israel Defense Forces continue to carry out strikes against Syrian military arsenals and have established a foothold in the long-demilitarized buffer zone along the Syrian border.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has conducted limited activity in southern Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire deal, and continues to face the persistent threat of Houthi projectile attacks. In recent days, Israeli officials warned that the Houthis will pay a “heavy price” for its continued aggression following a thwarted December 16 Houthi missile strike against the Israeli homeland.
JINSA hosted a situational update on these developments and the wider regional war with JINSA Distinguished Fellow IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror and JINSA’s Julian and Jenny Josephson Senior Vice President for Israeli Affairs IDF MG (ret.) Yaacov Ayish. The discussion was moderated by JINSA’s Vice President for Policy Blaise Misztal.
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IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror is a Distinguished Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy. MG Amidror was formerly the National Security Advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the head of Israel’s National Security Council from 2011-13. MG Amidror served as Commander of IDF Military Colleges, Military Secretary for the Minister of Defense, Director of the Intelligence Analysis Division, and as Intelligence Officer for the Northern Command. |
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IDF MG (ret.) Yaacov Ayish MG Ayish served in the IDF for 36 years and retired in 2016, concluding an accomplished career during which he attained the rank of Major General. Throughout his distinguished service, he served in core and operational command positions in the IDF ground forces and in senior command and managerial positions in the IDF General Staff. In his last position, General Ayish served for four years as Israel’s Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the United States in Washington, D.C. MG Ayish was previously the Head of the IDF General Staff Operations Branch where he was responsible for planning and managing the operational activities of the Israeli Defense Forces according to political and strategic guidelines. He was also a member of the IDF General Staff forum, a position that was filled with sensitive and complex managerial challenges and which encompassed multidisciplinary systems and functional dynamism in an era of changes in the characteristics of all the arenas and the army’s activities. |