Israeli defense minister OKs IDF’s ‘Momentum’ plan

Bennett approved the multi-year plan of the IDF.

By World Israel News Staff

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett approved the multi-year program ‘Momentum’ drafted by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi on Sunday.

The Ministry of Defense announced that the Security Cabinet will sign off on the plan at its upcoming meeting. The plan will also be presented to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

“The multi-year program ‘Momentum’ is designed to produce a more flexible, smarter and more lethal IDF. At the heart of the program lies the principle of defeating the enemy in a fast and powerful way, in the face of many complex arenas,” Bennett said.

“The plan exploits the strengths of the State of Israel, with a sober look at the challenges and risks, most notably the Iranian threat. We will not flinch, on the contrary. We will continue to operate, anytime, anywhere,” he said.

Kochavi unveiled the plan in October, stressing that Israel’s primary strategic threat remains Iranian buildup along its borders.

Kochavi said at the time, “At the heart of [security threats to Israel is] the entrenchment of Iranian and other forces in Syria and the precision missile project. In both situations, this is an Iranian-led effort, using the territory of countries with extremely weak governments.”

Momentum includes massive investments in the IDF’s military capabilities, such as beefing up Israel’s mid-sized drone fleet, acquiring large numbers of precision-guided missiles from the U.S., and obtaining more air defense batteries, according to Times of Israel.

Plans to hold a meeting between Kochavi and all the IDF sub-commanders to review Momentum, which had been scheduled for Monday, were cancelled due to fears of possible Arab violence in reaction to the unveiling of the White House’s Mideast peace plan, Kan news reports.

Aviv KochaviIDFNaftali Bennett