Reuven Pedatzur

The IDF in one breath turned the civil war in Syria into a major threat justifying an increase to the defense budget, even though the war there actually removes the threat of a war against the crumbling Syrian army.

Israel is closely following U.S. activity regarding Syria after the regime there crossed a red line. If the U.S. fails to act, it will be hard for Israel to believe that it will follow through on its commitment to thwart Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

In Ya’alon’s view, we don’t understand the only way to deal with the Palestinians is to hit them again and again, to strengthen Israel’s deterrence and 'sear their consciousness.’

While IDF figures put the Iron Dome missile defense system's success rate at 84 percent, three scientists claim the real figure could be much lower than that.

The IDF is too big and too well equipped with expensive weapons that were developed to counter threats that are no longer relevant.

Iron Dome cannot protect Sderot and the communities around the Gaza Strip. Everyone should know it, not only the nine people sitting in a Kiryat Gat courtroom.

The greatest challenge facing the next defense minister: to divert Netanyahu from the path that leads to an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear installations.

The framework defining the relations between the commander of the army and the government, prime minister and defense minister, is unclear and subject to interpretation.

Just as at Lake Success the State of Israel was founded 65 years ago, so at the UN building in New York the Palestinian state was founded two weeks ago.

Now that the explosions have stopped, we are obligated to delve into the truth behind Operation Pillar of Defense.

Yes, we should be pleased; we should also be proud and grateful. The crowing, however, is a little exaggerated.

The time has come to stop being afraid and demand that the Skyguard laser system and the Vulcan Phalanx artillery system be flown to Israel immediately and positioned alongside the communities in southern Israel.

The IDF has still not found a solution to the rockets being fired from Gaza into southern Israel - around 1,000 in this year alone.

What ought to be most worrisome about the UAV affair is the depiction of this failure as a success - the IDF and the air force are being praised for a superb performance, though no one is investigating or asking questions.

In Jerusalem, as always, any mention of Israeli nuclear weapons produces a Pavlovian response. No, no, no - there's nothing to talk about and nobody to talk to.

Common sense dictates that a sizable chunk of the billions needed to guard the off-shore drilling rigs should come from the enormous profits reaped by the companies producing the gas. But it's almost certain that this will not happen.

Barak's work is done. Now he can say to the treasury officials that if two committees of experts conclude that the defense budget has to get even bigger, who are they to say no?

In his comments these days, Netanyahu is undermining the chance of crafting a credible deterrent policy against a future nuclear Iran.

A prime minister who launches a vicious attack aimed at delegitimizing senior security officials who are not willing to change their tune and adapt their professional views to his position is a dangerous prime minister.

The IDF assumed the Syrians would not make 'first use' of chemical weapons but would respond with them if Israel attacked Syrian territory with weapons of mass destruction. All that has changed.

Politicians are eager to do battle, senior army officers try to calm things down.

Like my fellow military correspondents and analysts, I too have sinned and violated clause 112 of the law.

The battle between the defense minister Barak and former IDF chief of staff Ashkenazi, is no longer about prestige and credibility. It is for nothing less than Israeli democracy.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak continues to drop hints and wink when he speaks about mysterious explosions in Iran.

The National Security Staff Law, would do wonders to improve the way the government makes policy.