A retired Israeli general warns that Israel faces an existential threat, with a missile barrage capable of causing destruction akin to a nuclear attack—unless immediate leadership changes are made.
Retired Major General Itzhak Brik issued a stark warning on Monday about what he describes as an “existential threat” to Israel, arguing that the country faces an imminent security crisis that could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.
In an article for the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Brik criticized Israel’s military and political leadership, calling for their immediate replacement to prepare for what he sees as the “most severe security challenge” in the country’s history.
Brik highlighted the growing arsenal of missiles, rockets, and drones possessed by Iran and its allies, warning that in a future regional war, Israel could be subjected to thousands of attacks daily.
“The precision missiles that our enemies are producing have warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms each, and their production rate is dizzying,” he said.
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“The State of Israel was almost in the midst of a regional war and a danger to its existence,” Brik wrote, arguing that the situation on October 7, 2023—when Hamas launched its attack—could have escalated into a broader conflict had Hezbollah decided to join in.
He accused Israel’s leadership of relying on “miracles” rather than military preparedness to avert disaster.
“A state that relies on miracles and not on real military capability will not survive for long,” he wrote.
Brik also revealed that following the October 7 attack, Israeli military leaders, including Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, pushed for an immediate war against Hezbollah in addition to the Gaza operation.
He described this proposal as reckless, warning that the Israeli army and Israel’s home front were not prepared for the potential devastation such a war could bring.
The retired general expressed deep frustration with Israel’s security establishment, saying that the same officials responsible for the failures of October 7 are still in charge and continuing to make misguided decisions.
He criticized what he called their “arrogance, smugness, and disconnection from reality,” adding that they had learned nothing from the failures in Gaza.
Brik warned that calls for military action against Hezbollah, echoed by political and military leaders, risk plunging Israel into a catastrophic war that could be far more devastating than the recent conflict in Gaza.
He also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for making statements that he described as unfounded, arguing that members of the government lack sufficient knowledge of security matters.
“In order to lead the change that is needed immediately, and so that we can survive in the future and even win in a regional war – the process of replacing the senior command in the General Staff and the political echelon must begin now,” he noted.
“The war has become a continuous war that could last for a very long time at low or high intensity,” he wrote, stressing that there is no time to waste in rebuilding Israel’s defenses.
Until a leadership change is enacted, he warned, Israel will remain vulnerable to an existential crisis.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
