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As I write these words, Israelis are busy preparing their bomb shelters and sealed rooms for war. The assassination of Hamas chief political leader Ismael Haniyah in Tehran, of Hamas military leader Mohammad Deif in Khan Younis Gaza, of Hezbollah commander Faud Shakr, as well as the air strikes over the Houthi stronghold,  the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, have put Israel in a perilous position. Every Israeli I have spoken to is proud of their intelligence and military apparatus but is preparing for the worst case scenario.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, embarrassed that the assassination of Ismael Haniya occurred to his “guest” in Tehran, has ordered Iran to strike Israel directly, saying that “We see avenging his blood our duty”, and that Israel has prepared the stage “to receive severe punishment.”

After 10 months of fighting in Gaza, does Israel still have the defensive shield to be able to ensure the protection of their people? Do they have enough offensive weaponry to be able to eliminate the threats from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis and vanquish their foes? What does this war mean for one of the objectives of the Hamas war, freeing the hostages? Has enough of Hamas been eliminated at this point in the war? And will the United States, Jordan, and the United Kingdom help with Israel’s defense, as it did last April?

Here to answer these questions and more is Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi.

About Our Speaker:

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi is the founder and chairman of Israel Defense and Security Forum, a group of over 22,000 reserve officers and operatives from all branches of the Israeli security forces, dedicated to guiding the narrative of Israel’s security needs and ensuring that Israel’s security in the homeland is never taken for granted.

At the core of IDSF lies the belief that Israel’s security must be anchored in its ability to protect itself, by itself, while actively thwarting threats to its safety. The authoritative voices of well-known military veterans, media personalities and national security experts, are key in disseminating our security strategy for the State of Israel.

During his service, Amir held a series of senior roles in the IDF, including Deputy Comptroller of the Security Forces, Director of the Office of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander of the Gaza Division, Commander of the Sagi Division, Commander of Battalion 605 and Commander of the School of Combat Engineering.