21/09/2009 Israeli army chief of staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday that the military underwent significant improvements since the 2006 war against Lebanon and “has the answer” to any future conflict.
“Since the Second Lebanon War, we have done an all encompassing review of the possibility we may need to fight again in the North. We understand what we need to do next time and the army has the answer,” Ashkenazi told Army Radio in a question and answer session. “It is a strong and high quality military, and I trust it,” he stressed.
After claiming that his army has managed to gain effective deterrence in the north, Ashkenazi said that it was not in Hezbollah’s interest to start a new conflict. “We are monitoring closely what is happening inside of Lebanon. Hezbollah continues to become stronger,” he said.
“I think Hezbollah is not interested, at least at the moment, in renewing actions. But at the same time we are not complacent, we are following events,” he added.
Turning to Iran, the Israeli General claimed the best way to deal with Tehran’s nuclear program is sanctions. “If sanctions don’t work, Israel has the right to defend itself, and all means can be used to achieve this,” Ashkenazi threatened.
About a UN report on Israel’s winter offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli chief of staff said the document was “biased and unbalanced.”
Referring to Richard Goldstone, the South African prosecutor who wrote the report, the Israeli occupation military chief told Army Radio: “He ignored Hamas (rocket) fire. As the one who planned the operation, I say that we have a moral army; we did everything we could to lessen the harm to noncombatants.”
