Retired Israeli occupation army Major General Yitzhak Brik warned that the intense focus on Iran is obscuring more dangerous strategic threats in the region, particularly Turkey, which he says is emerging as the largest security challenge to Israel in the Middle East.
In an article published in the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, Brik stated that Israel’s decision making institutions suffer from what he described as a “blindness in the security concept”, where ideological positions replace realistic strategy. According to him, this leads to ignoring the possibility of a multi front regional war.
Regional War Scenarios Being Ignored
Brik explained that such a conflict could involve the northern front with Hezbollah, continued tensions with Syria, possible attacks by armed groups coming from Jordan, unrest in the occupied West Bank, and even a potential threat from Egypt in the future.
He added that Turkey is steadily strengthening its regional power and working to expand its influence across the Middle East. According to Brik, this development could leave Israel unprepared for an escalation unlike anything previously seen.
Limits of Air Power
Brik noted that any large scale war would not be limited to aerial confrontation or excessive reliance on the air force, which he said would not be sufficient to guarantee Israel’s defence.
He argued that victory in a multi front conflict requires what he described as a “steel triangle” composed of air, ground, and naval forces. However, he stressed that the ground capability is the missing component in Israel’s current defence system.
Weak Ground Forces
Brik warned that weakness in ground forces would leave the army unable to defend effectively or launch decisive offensives inside enemy territory. An army that relies solely on defensive air strikes, he said, would be condemned to permanent defence.
He added that in the Middle East, a state that remains in a purely defensive posture will ultimately collapse.
Limited Impact of War with Iran
Brik stressed that a limited aerial war with Iran would have restricted impact and would not topple the Iranian government unless large numbers of Iranian citizens took to the streets.
He also argued that an Israeli ground invasion of Iran is practically impossible due to the distance and lack of necessary capabilities, adding that relying on air power alone is an insufficient strategy.
Internal Ideological Blindness
Brik further noted that a large segment of messianic believers within Israel views regional threats merely as a test of faith. According to him, this outlook ignores realistic dangers such as missiles striking cities, simultaneous ground incursions from neighbouring countries, or internal unrest that could turn into an additional battlefront.
