WhatsappSometimes, it is best to bring your chess pieces back a step or two in order to regroup your defenses and prepare for an offensive that will bring one closer to check mate. That is essentially what Benjamin Netanyahu just did with his move to agree to a 60 day ceasefire with Lebanon. Whether or not the ceasefire holds for more than a few days, weeks, or the entire 60 day period, Netanyahu is buying time to outwit Biden’s Obama-driven speechwriters as they limp and stumble towards the Jan. 20th finish line.
Donald Trump has indicated via his choices for national security posts that he will almost definitely be the most pro-Israel President in the history of the young State of Israel. He will probably outpace his first term on many levels. Between Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Pete Hegseth and other appointees, he will most certainly be surrounded by the most pro-Israel cadre of advisors in the Oval Office that have ever been assembled.
But Israel also has some major challenges to overcome that it needs to take into account. The human toll, wear and tear on the fighters of the Israeli Army and reservists, is indeed significant. A lull on one front is a welcome rest for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and their families.
Secondly, nearly every soldier in the Israeli Army knows that there are limitations on specific munitions at this point. In less than two months, the closed spigot on at least some of these critical munitions will be lifted. That will mean that the soldiers will be better protected as they advance further in their attempts to create situation in Northern Israel that is safe for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who live there and the millions who travel there throughout the year.
A ceasefire is not the end. It is a lull. Everyone in Israel knows that. There is perhaps no issue that Israelis are more unified about than the critical importance of completely destroying the threat from Hizbullah to the northern communities of Israel. Where there is unity, Israel will win – big.
