Turkey’s Syrian Ambitions, and What They Mean for Israel

One of the challenges facing military planners is the need to prepare not just for the threats of today, but for the threats of tomorrow. After the failures of the 2006 Lebanon war—and as Hizballah dramatically increased its missile arsenal and military capabilities—the IDF and the Mossad worked tirelessly to ensure the next confrontation would be a success. These efforts contributed to the celebrated pager operation, the precise targeting of Hizballah’s leadership, and so forth. By contrast, the IDF was unprepared for a major ground operation in Gaza, which it didn’t expect would be necessary.