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New Israeli Defense Minister Seeks Leaner, Smarter Force

Budget cuts offer the new defense minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon an opportunity to complete the visionary process he began as chief of staff: to shrink the clunky land army and make the IDF more relevant, given the challenges it faces, writes Alon Ben David.
Israeli army Chief of staff Moshe Yaalon stands in front of a fighter jet at Natzarym air base in this handout photo.  Outgoing Israeli army Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon stands in front a fighter jet at the Natzarym air base in Israel May 23, 2005 in this handout photo released by the Israeli Defence Force press office. REUTERS/IDF/Handout - RTRC6I8
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For the first time in Israel’s history, a new defense minister has taken the post without any threat of a foreign army ready to invade our territory. Anticipated cuts to the defense budget will provide Moshe "Bogie" Ya’alon with a chance to complete a process he began as chief of staff [2002-05] and shrink Israel’s land forces. The IDF of today is a “smart army.” Considering the challenges he faces, will Ya’alon also make it smaller and more relevant?

From the day that Israel was established, the greatest threat was always thought to be an invasion of foreign armies which would seize chunks of territory. That threat no longer exists. For the past four decades, the IDF has structured itself so that it could win another Yom Kippur War, but such a war will not happen again. The threat of a “classic,” conventional war, which generations of soldiers and officers trained to fight, is no longer with us.

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