Last week, Prime Minister Olmert met with the IDF High Command and declared: "If somebody would have said on July 11^th that in another half a year Southern Lebanon would be free of the Hizbollah, everyone would have said that he was crazy." 

The following is a letter that I recently received: 

I am sorry to say that since the end of the war in the North, Israel's situation has deteriorated. I spoke with a reserve soldier from the Golani brigade who just finished his reserve duty on the northern border. He saw the Hizbollah terrorists just thirty meters from the border fence. They are armed but do not wear uniforms. Israel's soldiers are not allowed to aim their weapons at them and are not allowed to anger them in any way. Two soldiers in the 51^st Golani Brigade also reported the same. I have only written a bit of what I have found out. Clearly, the next abduction is just a matter of time. (I hope that I am wrong.) Unfortunately, the media has analyzed what happened in the past, but there is no discussion about what lies in store… 

Actually, we don't need this letter to know what is happening on the northern border. Hizbollah flags wave proudly on the border fence. Anybody who is willing to listen knows that the Hizbollah was never expelled from Southern Lebanon. On the contrary: Hizbollah's undeniable victory over the IDF has significantly strengthened it; its control in Lebanon has increased and sooner or later, it will take over the entire country. 

But what this letter and the follow-up phone call that I made did clarify was that there is a conspiracy of silence between Israel's government, the IDF and the Hizbollah terrorists. If the IDF soldiers are ordered not to shoot when the Hizbollah provokes them, that means that everyone knows they are there and everyone is trying to buy some time by creating a false illusion that they are not there. In other words: If they shoot at you, run away, because if you shoot back we will have to admit that somebody shot.  

Israel's security is not the greatest concern for Olmert and the IDF generals. Their personal, political survival is much more important. Security considerations require dealing with the situation. But all that political survival requires is deception of the public. In essence, Israel's leaders and the Hizbollah are cooperating in their deception of the Israeli public. The Hizbollah terrorists do not wear uniforms and Israel's government and army commanders tell us that the region is "free" of Hizbollah.  

The government and the generals cannot admit that the International Force in Southern Lebanon is a farce. They cannot admit that it does not enhance Israel's security, but that it does limit the IDF's ability to react to provocations, while entangling Israel in an endless array of possible military misadventures and misunderstandings. They cannot admit that Israel's "glorious victory" in Lebanon has created a defensive umbrella of international forces to shield the Hizbollah -- that has remained in the very same place with at least the same military might -- just without uniform. To admit all of that would mean admitting that they failed miserably on the political front and were roundly defeated on the military front. Then they may have to leave their offices and surrender their personal power to someone else; someone who may even actually take responsibility for Israel's security. 

The most serious aspect of this situation is not Olmert's remarks. Israelis have already learned not to take him very seriously, anyway. The problem is the silence of the lineup of generals at that meeting. Actually, they were not completely silent. From their responses we could have concluded that not only did the IDF clear the entire region of Hizbollah, but it also instilled the fear of the Lord in all of Israel's enemies and from now on, nobody in the entire Middle East will dare attack our country.  

The problem is not only ex-Chief of Staff Halutz, and the solution is not only to appoint a new Chief of Staff. The problem is the entire military High Command.

The problem is that not one general had the courage to stand up at that meeting and say, "Mr. Prime Minister, I am sorry, but the facts that you have presented do not reflect reality. The Hizbollah is on the border fence. This presents us with both tactical and strategic problems. On the tactical level, we continue to face the danger of Hizbollah missiles on Israel's northern region, as well as additional abductions of soldiers. On the strategic level, Hizbollah's presence on our northern border increases the chances of regular Arab armies joining in the fighting in the next round." 

If not one general stood up and told the bitter truth, then the present IDF High Command has no real excuse for existing. Every minute that it remains creates a security problem for Israel, because prevents our country from facing up to the truth and dealing with it.