Israel is preparing for an all-out-war with Iran and its Shi’ite Muslim proxies on the northern frontier of the Jewish state. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the IDF has maintained a high level of security for several years, but now “the situation is fragile and volatile.” As part of the growing challenges Jerusalem faces, primarily the increased threat along Israel’s northern frontier – including from Syria and Iran; the Israeli top defense official is seeking an increase in the country’s defense budget that would amount up to 1.36 billion Dollars, which is equal to about 1.16 billion Euros, over the course of the next three years. Lieberman asserted that as part of “a fundamental change in the security situation across the region, which requires an increase in the (country’s) defense budget,” Israel’s “primary goal is to prevent the next war.”
The Defense Minister detailed three new challenges the Jewish State is facing, including: a “massive Russian presence” in Syria, advanced precision weapons introduced in the area, with both Hezbollah and “other elements” trying to attain these weapons, and a dramatic acceleration in the Iranian military industry, which is a source of concern not just for Israel but also for the Arab League, primarily, Saudi Arabia. That said, Minister Lieberman emphasized that “The IDF will deal with every challenge under any circumstance.”