A Palestinian boy inspects the ruins of a house after it was demolished by Israeli troops during a military operation in the West Bank town of Sedia near Tulkarem. (Mouid Ashqar, Maan Images)

On the morning following the presentation of the annual intelligence report on the dangers surrounding Israel, the Israeli newspapers reported that a few ministers were unable to get any sleep. According to these newspapers, some of the ministers had never seen such a bleak picture of the Israeli situation; one minister even pointed out, in reference to the sea, that the west was the only side that carried no threats to the Hebrew state.

The bottom line is that on all territorial fronts, Israel is now surrounded by forces that rely on missile capabilities that cover the entire territory of Israel. Moreover, while these forces harbor deep hostility toward the Jewish state, they are continuously increasing their destructive capabilities. The estimate also indicates that conventional ground confrontations in which the Israeli army used to maintain superiority have become unlikely. Consequently, neither the armored nor the ground forces are as significant as they used to be. Even the air force has lost its decisive capability in future battles.

The estimate also notes that the anti-Israel forces are represented by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas, highlighting the predominantly political Shiite characteristic of these forces. The report predicted that with the fall of the Gaza Strip under Hamas' control, Lebanon would face a similar fate at the hands of Hezbollah given "the stability of the Syrian regime." With this, the circle of the "rocket siege" against Israel would be complete.

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According to Maariv, under such a situation Israel will find itself within a year or two surrounded by "a terrorist zone that is armed, trained, equipped with missiles and enjoying the support of two bordering states, Syria and Lebanon, and an Iranian nuclear umbrella."

If Israeli intelligence agencies enjoy any credibility in the eyes of the government and the political elite in the Jewish state, the conclusion of these estimates imply one of two options: waging a war along the region where the danger lurks, which includes Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and all the way to Iran; or weighing the means to ward off such a war whose outcomes would be unpredictable (based on the nature of the confrontations and the preparations of the enemy). In other words, these estimates simultaneously propose the options of an all-out war or a comprehensive peace, along with the obligations each option entails.

To read the full article please visit Dar Al-Hayat.