Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram said last week in a closed forum that Israel’s enemies have been weakened, but the threat has not disappeared. “Hamas is not the same Hamas, Hezbollah is not the same Hezbollah and Syria is not the same Syria,” he said. He added that “the militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen are absolutely a threat, even if they are far away.”
Baram’s remarks were made at a strategic workshop held on Thursday by the Defense Ministry’s Eastern Area Administration, attended by dozens of deputy directors general from government ministries, senior IDF officers and security officials. The workshop was intended to enlist government ministries in a Defense Ministry plan to strengthen Israel’s eastern region.
According to the ministry, the border barrier under construction and the IDF’s redeployment are not enough on their own. Officials say the response must also include a civilian component, especially settlement and population growth in the area.
The data presented at the event said that only about 24,000 people currently live in the stretch between the border fence and Eilat. The ministry views expanding settlement as a major factor in improving security, and says it will require investment in infrastructure, transportation, employment, energy, agriculture, education and other areas.