The next war with Hezbollah will "not be easy," warns the head of IDF Military Intelligence General Herzi Halevi at the 16th Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center Conference.

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He said that "the home front's experience in the next conflagration will be a lot more difficult."

"On the one hand, the (overall) situation is improving," the general said. "we are stronger than the other actors which surround us. But on the other hand, we are in a complicated environment – one might say explosive. The situation has both improved and become more complicated."

IDF Military Intelligence Chief General Herzi Halevi (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

The head of military intelligence discussed the processes which have been occurring in the Middle East over the past several years, and noted that "the Middle East is in a constant state of instability. We need to get used to the idea that the region is unstable."

He continued, adding that "Israel is the strongest player in the region. The largest armies have become weak, have changed, or are gone. New threats are developing around us - the threat of fire, the threat of infiltrations by different means... Perhaps it is because of our experience in the holocaust and our revival that we continue to feel weak."



In marking a decade since the Second Lebanon War, the IDF Intelligence Chief said that "it seems that the two sides are not against another decade of quiet. We don't want a war, but we are ready for one, and we are improving our capabilities. I don't think that the next war will be easy."

He then spoke about Hezbollah in Syria, saying that "Hezbollah has 1,500 dead from the fighting in Syria, and it has really affected the organization. (Hezbollah) is being challenged in Syria, is going through tough experiences, but is also achieving some successes."

Halevi further went on to say that "what we do has a large impact on the Middle East, and I will allow myself to say that it is even bigger than in the past. The wars have changed, and we need to also note that the war experience on the home front and the front lines has also changed.”

Regarding Syria, the general stressed that "Israel's strategy of non-intervention in this conflict is the right strategy. We got involved twice; in protecting out border (with Syria) and humanitarianly. Anyone who comes to the border gets medical treatment. That's how we operate."