Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ten-point security vision raises serious questions about its practical implementation, particularly amid unresolved confrontations with Iran and Hezbollah and Israeli failure to achieve its objectives in Gaza, according to Israeli journalist Avi Ashkenazi in Maariv.
Named as new security doctrine, Netanyahu outlined ten principles for Israeli security in the coming years: “Preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, deterrence, early warning, initiative, maneuver and critical thinking, defense, alliances, technological superiority and independent force-building, the battle for public opinion, victory, and national spirit.”
However, Ashkenazi dismissed the document as a collection of broad principles rather than an actionable security strategy. He argued that Netanyahu had offered no concrete plan to translate these objectives into reality.
The Israeli journalist mocked Netanyahu’s document, saying: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his security vision for the coming years. In fact, if he had presented the document as an academic paper for a university course, it would likely have been referred to a disciplinary committee on suspicion of plagiarism.”
The Hamas-led October 7 attacks, Ashkenazi wrote in the Hebrew daily, exposed fundamental failures in deterrence, early warning, and initiative. He also questioned Israeli ability to achieve its stated objectives against Iran, pointing to Tehran’s stockpile of approximately 500 kilograms of enriched uranium, as cited in the commentary.
Ashkenazi further argued that ‘Israel’ had failed to achieve its war objectives in Gaza, while Hezbollah remained active and continued fighting in Lebanon.
On regional alliances, the Israeli journalist questioned Netanyahu’s prospects of securing normalization with Saudi Arabia and bringing Riyadh into the so-called Abraham Accords, noting that such a move would face opposition from far-right coalition ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
He also highlighted constraints on Israel’s military buildup, citing the budget deficit and exhausted funds for procuring military equipment, including fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft, and attack and transport helicopters.
Ashkenazi said Netanyahu’s presentation lacked the substance expected of a comprehensive security strategy. He argued that the Israeli premier should have outlined specific measures and timelines for addressing the challenges on all fronts, including Syria, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank, Gaza, Iran, and Yemen.
The criticism comes with just eight days remaining before Israeli Knesset elections, which Ashkenazi said would take place amid heightened military alert and a broader regional realignment.