Smotrich replies to Galant: "Don't pour a sea of money that will be swallowed by a black hole of the security establishment"
Dr. Aaron Lerner 10 May 2024

Ynet reports:

In response to the sharp criticism leveled by Defense Minister Yoav Galant for his decision to delay the purchase of fighter jets from the US, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that "the State of Israel should allocate much more money to security, but not to a failed security as built in recent years according to the old concept of the leaders of the concept. Pouring a sea of money that will be swallowed up in some black hole of the security establishment, when it is really not certain that this money will give the citizens of Israel real security, is not serious."

Smotrich claimed that Gallant "prefers not to recalculate a course and not to challenge the perceptions that led to a terrible security crash."

IMRA: When the IDF invaded Gaza a number of Israeli companies scrambled to introduce their leading edge systems in the battlefield. Systems which these Israeli companies were SELLING OVERSEAS but the Israeli Ministry of Defense never ordered.

These same systems are playing a critical role in the ongoing development and implementation of the battlefield tactics which from day one yielded dramatically lower casualty rates than anyone predicted.

I want to be clear about this: I am not claiming that the DM refuses to have civilians involved in the thought process in order to protect the fat sales commissions that so many ex-brass enjoy representing the companies which now are getting the orders.

The brass holds the civilians with disdain.

When Naftali Bennett as PM instructed the IDF to kill Sinwar the entire defense establishment dug in its heels to block the move.

When the DM Avigdor Liberman pushed to create a missile force the brass did all it to kill the initiative, with only some platforms ultimately built (and Israeli companies frequently selling their leading edge missiles overseas well before the Ministry of Defense finally came around to consider buying a few).

We wouldn't have our own satellites if the decision had been left up to the brass!

And there are many more examples.

Hurray for Smotrich!
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