In recent years, a concept of "victory from the air" developed, negating the need for ground maneuvers or improved firepower on ground or in sea. In the case of Lebanon, a specific concept of repelling Katyusha rockets and missile fire in the air was developed - hence, the belief that it was possible to conduct a broad confrontation with Hezbollah with no action on the ground. As a result, infantry, tank, and artillery forces were neglected.
Were it possible to solve every problem by means of air intervention, why continue to empower ground and naval forces? One factor that made neglect in the military power structure more severe was the self-persuasion of senior security force members who believed that conventional warfare had seen its final days. A total of 23 years without frontal conflict between the IDF and Arab armies allowed ministers of defense, chiefs-of-staff and other experts to develop a military version of the "End of History" theory. It was expressed in the belief that the conventional military threat to Israel had been permanently replaced by the threat of unconventional weapons, on one hand, and terror, on the other.
This concept remained intact even though we witnessed a conventional clash between the United States and Iraq; a clash which included broad ground maneuvers alongside the battle in the air. One must wonder, to some extent, how, after witnessing these battles, we permitted ourselves to cut plans to improve
capability?
I can't believe Kosovo infected Israeli thinking. Early on I suspected Israel could not and would not win and should get out, learn why they screwed up, and prepare for the next round.
Israel will learn from this fight. Hizbollah is feeling pretty good right now, but when they enter the next round with high hopes of finally killing the Jews once and for all, the IDF will rip their hearts out.
As Napoleon might have said, when you start to destroy Hizbollah, destroy Hizbollah.
The only question is whether Syria will get stupid and try to intervene to save Hizbollah from destruction.
