Israel Facing a Multi-Front War of Biblical Proportions

Streaks of light are seen as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercept rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, on Aug. 7, 2022. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)

Commentary

How will the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) handle emboldened enemies surrounding it?

For Israel, in many ways, it’s the best of times.

Israel has never been as technologically and militarily advanced or as economically powerful as it is today. The level of development it has reached in the past couple of decades is impressive by any measure.

Its warfare capabilities are world class—it’s a leader in state-of-the-art military weaponry, guidance systems, cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, and other technologies. The Israeli Air Force is unrivaled in the region, and its intelligence agencies are also among the best in the world.

Furthermore, the Israeli Navy operates as part of the IDF, is in the Mediterranean and Red Seas and the Gulf of Elat, and is assumed to carry nuclear weapons that can be targeted at its enemies with a high degree of accuracy. Its missile defense system makes it difficult for her enemies to inflict damage from afar, which has been the primary means of attack.

The Beginning of the Worst of Times?

And yet, this tiny nation the size of New Jersey finds itself facing perhaps its greatest threat since its founding.

That reality isn’t lost on the IDF. Just as Israel’s power has increased, so too, has the power, number, and determination of its enemies.

It may soon become the worst of times.

Today, Israel faces the real possibility of having to fight a multifront war. Repelling attacks from the north, east, and south, and perhaps even from the west simultaneously is a formidable military challenge for any nation. For a tiny country like Israel, with no land to give up and the sea at its back, any war must be short and decisive on all fronts.

The Religious Threat of Islamism

The fiercest threat to Israel (but by no means the only one) is ideological in nature and comes from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran’s stated policy is the total elimination of Israel, and Iran’s leadership is acting accordingly. Its elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria are a constant and growing threat to Israel.

Tehran also funds, arms, and controls several proxy armies. These terror armies are active in Syria and Lebanon, but they’re also in Israel itself, in the south in Gaza and Judea, and in Samaria, as well as in Yemen and Iraq. All are equipped with rockets and large numbers of heavily armed soldiers.

In recent weeks, these armies have launched attacks against Israel—or have been close to doing so—forcing the IDF to conduct pre-emptive attacks against them within and outside of Israel. Gaza alone has launched many hundreds of rockets at Israel just in the past few days.

Turkey’s Shift to Radical Islam

But Israel’s list of enemies extends beyond its immediate neighbors and Iran. Turkey is looking like it may join the anti-Israel parade. In a recent conversation with Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “the Islamic world should be united against Israel’s attack in Palestine.” Erdogan also declared that “trampling on the Al-Aqsa Mosque is our red line.”

Israelis’ praying on the Temple Mount may not be Turkey’s only “red line” with Israel. Turkey has its eyes on the vast wealth of oil and natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that Israel controls and sells to Europe.

What’s more, Erdogan’s policies have shifted from Western-focused to pro-Islamic jihad and anti-Israel in the past several years. Its presence in Syria will continue, according to Erdogan. Syria, of course, is a major staging ground for continuous attacks on Israel for Iran’s forces and its proxies.

Economic Threat: Israel’s Rising Energy Market a Threat to Russia

But Israel’s potential enemies go beyond Iran to the east, Turkey to the west, Gaza in the south, and Syria and Lebanon on its northern border. Due to Israel’s abundant energy reserves, which it’s already selling to Europe, Israel will soon pose a direct threat to Russia’s economy, since exporting natural gas to Europe is one of Russia’s main sources of revenue.

But the European Union has directed European companies not to renew contracts with Russia going forward. This is due to Moscow leveraging the EU’s dependence on Russian energy against nations that oppose Russia’s war against Ukraine. In fact, the EU has already reduced its imports of Russian gas by two-thirds and plans to abandon its reliance on Russian energy altogether by 2027.

Currently, Israel exports liquified natural gas (LNG) to Europe produced by LNG facilities in Egypt and then shipped across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. In the near future, Israel plans to increase its exports to Europe. Likewise, the EU plans on replacing Russian natural gas with suppliers such as Israel.

Israel’s Internal Division Invites Attacks

These religious and economic motivations that are raising the risk of war are made even more pressing by the state of Israel’s deep political and social divisions. Massive public demonstrations—whether justified or not—against the Netanyahu government’s judicial policies, have prevented the cohesive exercise of power and fomented civil instability in the country.

This intense, internal division projects a sense of weakness and vulnerability to Israel’s enemies, which may in part be considered an invitation to the attacks Israel is experiencing right now. Certainly, there are other factors involved.

One thing is clear, though. The attacks on Israel could quickly get a lot worse.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.