On Monday, September 29, the BESA Centerย hosted a public conference on the Military and Political Lessons of Operation Protective Edge.
Our outstanding line-up of speakers included distinguished guests Lt. Gen. (res) Mosheย (Bogie) Ya’alon, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Maj. Gen. (res.) Israel Ziv, Maj. Gen. Gershon Hacohen, Maj. Gen. Tamir Hayman and Prof. Uzi Arad. BESA Center researchers Mr. Uzi Rubin, Prof. Eytan Gilboa, Prof. Hillel Frisch and senior fellow Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaacov Amidror, also joined the panel.
Lt. Gen. Ya’alon: 80% of Hamas rockets destroyed
Ya’alon opened the conference by revealing that prior to Operation Protective Edge, Hamas had approximately 10,000 rockets and mortars. After thousands of these were fired or destroyed by Israel, Hamas is left with approximately 2,000 rockets. He also claimed that 2,100 Palestinians were killed during the operation, “most of them terrorists”, and 7,000 houses were destroyed.
In his assessment of the outcome of the operation, Ya’alon stated โI understand the longing for a victory like that of the Six-Day War, but I keep reminding people: That glorious military victory didnโt bring quiet, except for during a very limited time period …. The question of Operation Protective Edgeโs achievements will be judged by the test of time. Weโll also have to see how we prevent Hamas and other organizations from rearming โ the potential for doing so exists. I hope the future will prove that this operation achieved a long period of quiet and deterrence not only in the Gaza Strip, but in the entire region.โ
Dr Yuval Steinitz: Abbas a worse enemy than Arafat
In his closing address,ย Dr. Yuvalย Steinitz recognised President of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, as a more serious enemy of Israel than his predecessor, Yasser Arafat.
The Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs claimed that to deflect attention away from the shortcomings of the PA’s leadership, Abbas has chosen to accuse Israel of commiting genocide during Operation Protective Edge. Although unlike Arafat, Abbas has rejected terror, Steinitz asserted that his inability to disband terrorist organizations in the West Bank and to demilitarize Gaza is far more problematic. According to Steinitz, Abbas’s ideology is stronger than Arafat’s since he ” negates the existence of a Jewish state and the right of the Jewish people to have a state of their own. For Abu Mazen thereย are no Jewish people.”
Click on the links below to read some of the articles written about the conference:
Steinitz: Abbas Outdoes Arafat as Enemy
Tova Lazaroff in The Jerusalem Post, 30.9.2014
Hamas Still Has 2,000 Rockets and Mortors, Says Minister Ayalon
Gili Cohen, Haaretz, 30.9.2014
ืืืืืก ื ืฉืืจื ืจืง 20% ืืืจืงืืืช ืฉืืื ืืจืฉืืชื
ื. ืฉืืืจืฅ, ืืชื ื ืืื, ืกืคืืืืจ 30, 2014
ืืขืืื: ืืืืก ืืืื 80 ืืืื ืืืจืกื ื ืืจืงืืืช ืฉืื ืืกืคื ืคืืืขื ืืกืืจืืืืช
ืืจืืื ืืืืืื, ืืืฉืืจ, ืกืคืืืืจ 30, 2014
ืืืืื ื ืฉืืจื 20% ืืืจืงืืืช
ืืืื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืงืืืื, ืืฉืจืื ืืืื, ืกืคืืืืจ 30, 2014
ย ืืขืืื: ืืืืืก ื ืืชืจื ื- 20% ืืืืื ืืจืงืืืช ืฉืืื ืื ืืคื ื ืืืฆื ืฆืืง ืืืชื
ืืืื ืืื ืื’ืงื ืืืจื, ืืืจืฅ, ืืคืืืืจ 30, 2014
ืืืืก ืืืืจ ืืืืฆืืจ ืขืฆืื ืฉื ืจืงืืืช
ืืืจ ืืืจ, IsraelDefense, ืกืคืืืืจ 29, 2014
ืืขืืื:ืืฉืืื ื 80% ืืืจืงืืืช ืฉื ืืืืก
ืืืื ืืืจืืฃ ,ื’ืจืืืื ืคืืกื, ืืขืจืื,ย ืกืคืืืืจ 29, 2014
ย ืืขืืื: ืืืืก ื ืฉืืจ ืขื 20% ืืืืื ืืจืงืืืช ืืืคืฆื”ืจืื
ืฆืื ืืืืืืื, ืืืฉืืช nana 10, ืกืคืืืืจ 29, 2014
ืืขืืื: ืืขืงืืืช ืืืืฆืข, ืืืืก ืืืฆืืงื ืืกืืจืืืืช
ย ืืขืจืืช ืืืืื! ืืืฉืืช, ืกืคืืืืจ 29, 2014
“ืืจืืื ืื ืืื ืื ืืืฉืืืช, ืืขืืงืจ ืืืื ืืชืงืฉืืจืช”
ืืจืืื ืืืื,ย ย News 1, ืกืคืืืืจ 29,ย 2014
ืืืืฃ (ืืื’) ืืฉืจืื ืืื: ืืืชืื ืฉืงื ืืืื ืฉื ืื
ืืจืืื ืืืื,ย ย News 1, ืกืคืืืืจ 29,ย 2014
ืฉืืืื ืืฅ: ืืกืื ืขื ืืืจื – ืจืข ืื ืจืข ืืืื
ืืจืืื ืืืื,ย ย News 1, ืกืคืืืืจ 29,ย 2014
ืืขืืื: ืืคืกืงืช ืืืฉ – ืืืฉื ืืืื ื
ืืจืืื ืืืื,ย ย News 1, ืกืคืืืืจ 29,ย 2014
ืืขืืื: ืืืืืก ื ืืชืจื ืโ20 ืืืื ืืืืื ืืจืงืืืช ืฉืืืืืง ืืคื ื ืฆืืง ืืืชื
ืืืื ืืื, ืืืจืฅ, 29 ืกืคืืืืจ, 2014
Minister Ya’alon: Hamas Still Retains 20 Percent of Rockets, Mortars
Gili Cohen in Haaretz, 29.9.2014
Ya’alon: Gaza Artillery Inventory Down to20 Percent
Yoav Zitun in Ynet News, 29.9.2014
ืืขืืื: ืืขืื ื ืฉืืจื 20 ืืืื ืืืจืงืืืช
ืืืื ืืืชืื, ย Ynet, ืกืคืืืืจ 29,ย 2014
ย Yaโalon: IDF Destroyed 80% of Hamas Rockets in Gaza War
Tova Lazaroff in The Jerusalem Post, 29.9.2014
A video of the conference (in Hebrew) will be available soon.