Brigadier-General (Res.) Zvika Kraus believes the heavy armor corps in the tank and infantry units are a decisive factor in the battle against terrorist and guerilla organizations, including in the current war.
Zvika, who was Head Ordnance Officer (under its new name: Technology and Maintenance Corps) between 2010 and 2014, and who prior to that served in a string of field roles, including Commander of the Weapons and Spare Parts Center, Southern Command Ordnance Officer, Ordnance Officer in the Judea and Samaria Division during the Second Intifada and in other field roles – thinks this is the key take-away from the current fighting.
“Wherever the tank lays down its tracks – that’s where our forces’ front line is”.
“When I look north toward our next battle in Lebanon against Hezbollah, it is quite clear to me that to eliminate the terrorist infrastructures as we encountered them in the Gaza Strip, in the complex terrain layouts, in the built-up areas, inside the homes and public facilities and definitely in the underground medium – the armored vehicles will be leading the forces forward and will be the enablers of the advances of the blue arrows on the maps on our way to achieving our goals. Wars in this day and age are no longer winnable from the air alone, as was the prevailing thinking in the past. This war proves once again that wherever the tank lays down its tracks – that’s where our forces’ front line is.
The importance of the armored force came into play not only during the ground maneuver into Gaza. They were indispensable from the outset: “On October 7, when the southern border defense line collapsed – and took down with it the entire technological concept – the tanks and NAMERs (armored personnel carriers) got the job done. Inevitably, and having been taken by surprise, the armored vehicles did not confront the enemy face-on. Instead they were forced to pursue the enemy from the rear, and even so they generated mobility and fire against hundreds and thousands of terrorists, eventually penetrating the settlements and taking over the new defensive line from the ground obstacle, which had been demolished. In the absence of a defensive line, the armored vehicle is the surrogate defensive line”.
brigadier-general Kraus experienced this first-hand on that terrible Sabbath, which he had been spending in Kfar Aza where he had been living with his family for over 20 years until he was evacuated to the Shefayim Hotel. In the dark of night, after countless hours of relentless fighting, intense firefights, incessant shooting and hundreds of terrorists roaming among the Kibbutz homes and pathways, he finally heard a familiar sound that altered the picture: “It was around half past eight in the evening. My family was in the safe room with me defending from outside, peering through the blind slats and hearing the gunfire approaching, waiting with baited breath for the terrorists to reach our home. All through that day we were beset by uncertainty, we did not have a clear understanding of the overall situation picture, and we had lost contact with the events on the Kibbutz grounds. For me this was an inconceivable situation. On the one hand I am in no doubt that our army is a combat-ready army and that we would be seeing it arriving in no time, and the compulsion to fight is dragging me out, and on the other hand I conclude, judging by the noise, that I don’t have even the slightest chance against the intruders. The situation lurched between hope and despair. But then, in the midst of the exchange of fire, I suddenly hear the welcome sound of the NAMER’s tracks. Shortly afterwards I see its familiar silhouette. Only then could I heave a sigh of relief. The NAMER restored my hope that we would be emerging in one piece from this event”.
The maintenance NAMER improved the speed of the entire force
Are you pleased with the way the armored and infantry forces have been functioning in this war?
“True, it’s unnatural to see tanks and NAMERs driving among the paths and homes in a Kibbutz, but their entry into the Gaza Envelope settlements altered the balance of power and saved us a great deal of skirmishes and face-to-face combat. Any house in which the terrorists barricaded themselves got one tank shell and that was that. Before the heavy machinery arrived, lots of soldiers, brave heroes, lost their lives in bitter fighting against some 300 terrorists high on drugs, ecstatic, bent on murder, infected with infinite hatred. My heart goes out to the families of those heroes and I bow with respect for them and for the many injured, who are still bearing the battle scars on their flesh”.
And what about the fighting in the land maneuver?
“I am filled with pride as I follow the progress arrows of the tanks, the NAMERs and the D-9s in the battle against Hamas. I think that is such a complex combat theater, they are what at the end of the day will be the victory picture we are all waiting for, Since the introduction of the Merkava MK 2B in the first Lebanon War, the tank has been revolutionized. Not for nothing is today’s Merkava MK 4 Barak regarded to be the world’s best armored machine. With its fire power, its Wind Jacket protective system and virtually unlimited maneuverability, it is a substantial force multiplier against a heavily-fortified enemy. there is no doubt that in this new era of anti-terrorist and guerilla warfare, it is all the more vital to achieve the offensive integration, with the armored and mechanized infantry forces included in this”.
How should the IDF – and the Ordnance (Technology and Maintenance) Corps – change the day after?
“We have to build the IDF for multiple-arena threats. The ‘villa in the jungle’ we are living in – this hostile environment – requires the army to invest in increasing its strength. This requires budgets. If we want to be prepared for the next threat, we have to continue strengthening our armored corps, upgrade our tanks, replace old tanks with new ones, and equip more infantry units with NAMERs, as well as the Engineering and logistical support units. It’s absurd that a Merkava MK 4 can surge ahead while inside the force there’s also a slow, unprotected maintenance APC. When the commander knows he has an unprotected machine in his force, this hampers his advance. The development of the maintenance NAMER and the evacuation NAMER for the maintenance forces, which have been embedded in the force and in the soldiers’ order of progress, has meant that repairs and evacuations are possible in the midst of the forward thrust, preserving the battle continuity”.
“The IDF prepared itself for a war in the north – not in the south”.
“The realization of how important the armored corps is has arrived after years during which senior IDF commanders discounted its importance in a war. “Some even lamented the tanks and championed the concept of a ‘small technological army’, or ‘victory through plasma screens’. I remember a visit by the IAF commander at the Ordnance Corps Repair and Maintenance Center back in the day. At the end of the visit he surprised us all when he said that armored machines make convenient targets for the enemy, and that one helicopter could replace a whole tank company’s firepower. This concept was not reserved to the IAF commander alone, and of course it was fundamentally wrong. ‘Boots on the ground’, in the American concept, supported by air power and auxiliary forces, enable holding a line and advancing, while enlarging the security zone that pushes the threat away from the border and the Israeli towns and villages”.
There are those who think this was part of the concept – neglecting the armored corps in favor of the air force and advanced technologies. What do you think?
“I don’t share that feeling. I think in second Lebanon War, the attacks in Judea and Samaria, the force building of Hezbollah and Hamas with them positioning their front-line positions right on the border required that travel be done in armored vehicles along the Security Barrier. The technology-driven concept of using light unmanned vehicles along the border, the introduction of the sensor-to-shooter systems, and the high-tech fence failed to deliver the solution. I do believe it was budgetary constraints that prevented procurement at the proper pace in anticipation of a multi-arena conflict, which was discussed quite a lot”.
Do you think the IDF is prepared for such a war – not only in terms of the state of the armored corps but also in terms of the understanding of its importance on the battlefield?
“I think the IDF prepared very well for a war in the north – but it neglected the south. Had the military prepared itself for war in the south the way it did in the north, October 7 wouldn’t have happened. I live in a Kibbutz. I walk through the fields every day as far as the border fence. In recent years I Have been seeing and hearing, with my own eyes, the commotion on the other side. Every evening we hear gunfire. The messaging in the Kibbutz was that the sounds we were hearing are part of Hamas’ trials and capability upgrades. I had seen the convoys of white Toyotas with my own eyes more than once along the fence buffer zone. I saw men disembarking and raising binoculars. As someone who relied on the military top brass’s assessments, I, too, believed these were harmless civilian excursions”.
And all this evaded the intelligence gathering?
“The result was that this extremely-advanced intelligence gathering Israel has, with all its sensor systems, failed to correctly analyze the intelligence picture. It failed to produce the correct assessment of the enemy’s intentions. It’s simply unbelievable that nobody along the assessment chain managed to see this coming. We lost our deterrence long ago. But I believed that at least our warning systems would provide advance intelligence on their intentions. I saw, for example, videos of interrogations of captured terrorists. They were surprised by the lack of IDF response. They were sure they would come face-to-face with an army, they had steeled themselves for confrontation already along the fence line. Their euphoria and madness only increased the further they were able to advance. They found themselves dominating the territory – inside the settlements, along the main roads, inside our cities – Sderot and Ofakim – and of course inside the IDF bases. The only ones on site that were left to face this onslaught were the alert squads, the handful of soldiers and security forces and mostly brave soldiers that dashed to the scene to help. They all fought ferociously. Their complete command over the Nova party, the ability to do whatever they choose, turbocharged their determination to carry on with this atrocity”.
But there were also soldiers that understood that something serious was afoot.
“True. I think the most important thing is to take even the lowest-ranking soldier or lookout in the war room seriously. We have got to respect their courage to speak up as if they were the highest-ranking officer in our General Command. In the past we taught our soldiers that each one of them should regard themselves as if the fate of the entire battle rests on their shoulders. This is the way we should treat them”.
“We have got to rebuild the security perimeter
So what should change in our security concept post-October 7?
“Let me begin with basic tactical actions: we need to restore the border zone concept of operations the way the army has known all too well for years. The insight is that the enemy is able to surprise us anytime, anywhere. Our activities are being followed and learned, which means we have to constantly change, initiate, practice a ‘war now’ approach, practice routine security combat scenarios with quick going on the offensive, methods of ‘zero dark thirty’, route clearing under fire, infantry ground patrols, guarding all the security barrier routes under complete IDF control, be present ubiquitously, rather than under routine patterns”.
And in terms of arming ourselves?
“Operationally we clearly need greater readiness for switching from routine security mode to a war footing, rather than to the rounds of escalation we had been accustomed to. This requires not only that the forces be on the ready, it also requires stockpiles of munitions, equipment and other materiel. It’s inconceivable that soldiers should rely on donations for their essential battle gear. We have got to scale up our independent manufacturing capabilities, less reliance on friends abroad”.
And what should change in terms of the ground concept?
“Pre-October 7, I already saw Hamas’ positions right up against the security fence. Between my Kibbutz and Jabaliya it’s about two kilometers as the crow flies. Having a terrorist organization positioned on the fence is inconceivable, where all that stands between it and the borderline settlements is their own timing as to when they should invade. There has got to be a buffer zone, a ‘security perimeter’ – both in the south and in the north. Anyone venturing into it can expect to be killed. This will give us that vital time to respond and deploy”.
And what about security responsibility for the area itself, beyond the perimeter?
The entire northern Gaz Strip has to be under full military control, exactly as is the case throughout Judea and Samaria, in particular in the A areas. We have to form terrain dominance with settlements alongside it. the people who built this country in its first thirty years understood this. Beginning with the Tower and Stockade settlements through to the founding of the Kibbutzim and Moshavim. In the whole world there’s just one State of Israel for the Jews, and it’s just our luck of the draw to be wedged in the midst of this crazy jungle of Islamic countries. One has to talk the talk of the jungle – it’s not the United States here. In this area the talk is of power, money and honor”.
And this of course is at the top of your thoughts as a resident of the Gaza Envelope.
“Of course. I’m aware of the ongoing conversation among my fellow Kibbutzniks who were evacuated from their homes in the Envelope. They range from those who say they won’t come back no matter what because they don’t believe there’s ever going to be peace and quiet – to those who want to come back now. My family and I also want to return to the Kibbutz at the first possible opportunity, but this can only happen when the sense of security, of peace, and the certainty that there are no bad people on the other side will outweigh the current feelings”.
What has to happen for the Gaza Envelope residents to feel safe enough to return?
“I wouldn’t want to see extra safety shelters in the Kibbutz, nor would I like to see security afforestation or walls blocking the view to Jabaliya, I don’t want to vacate my home every year because we’re in another round of fighting. I want to feel that my family is protected; that if something similar should happen, the protective suit for the individual and for the community necessitates a different kind of readiness. I see the state’s motivation to deal with this, but I’m not convinced they really plan to do it”.
Do you see your children remaining in the Gaza Envelope also?
I want my kids to make their home in Kfar Aza and raise my grandchildren there, I’m prepared to be Israel’s line of defense, but they – and I – deserve more than what I was getting pre-October 7. Life in the Gaza Envelope is not 90 percent heaven and 10 percent hell as we told ourselves before the attack. Reality has proven that when it takes place it’s 200 percent hell. So now I want 200 percent heaven”.
You’re not referring only to the southern border.
“Hell no. We have got to come back and settle every place possible. The biggest punishment we can dish out to the other side is loss of territory. It’s worse than death as far as they are concerned, it’s the Naqba. Not the 1967 Naqba, it’s the 1948 Naqba – establishment of a Jewish state on territories it perceives as belonging to their grandfather. This is the price tag for any kind of outrage against us. When the enemy will learn that lands are lost forever due to their aggression, I’m convinced they’ll think twice. In the north, we have to push the threat away from the border itself. It doesn’t make sense to harvest apples in Metula’s orchards with the enemy staring at you without even binoculars, putting on shows of strength and harassing us right up on the border line and building observation towers directly on top of the Blue Line”.
And this applies to Judea and Samaria as well?
“We mustn’t forgo any of the settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria. We must retain our freedom of action anytime, anywhere regardless of any Palestinian entity. We’re all seeking a solution. We’re a peace-loving nation, but I sense an undercurrent of change. Anyone who used to talk about separation from the Palestinians now realizes he’s being unrealistic. Judea and Samaria will become a staging ground for Hamas and Jihad buildup right opposite the heart of Israel along the entire seamline and as far as Tel Aviv and the metropolitan area surrounding it”.
Are you optimistic regarding this war?
“Completely. The price we’re paying is exorbitant, soldiers are dying and sustaining injuries, but there’s no other choice. I see the soldiers’ fighting spirit, their conviction that we are in the right, it’s heartwarming. Time is not a factor as far as I’m concerned. This is a war of independence, not a limited military clash. The terrorists have to be killed, the organization’s infrastructures have to be ground down to dust. I think this is the first time the political echelon has handed super-clear goals down to the military echelon. The army knows how to convert this into actionable plans and to execute them. We must fulfill them without cutting any corners, without wavering, and God forbid not to pause”.
If we have unlimited time, why is it so important to press on relentlessly?
“The whole world’s watching us now. This is a singular chance to restore our deterrent and our advance warning. To bolster our standing here, to make everyone understand two of the principles of Middle Eastern language – the power and the honor are now 100% on our side. Muslim countries near and far are now learning the nature of our response. This is important. Any hesitation on our part will be interpreted as weakness”.
You’re talking about the countries surrounding us. But what about Iran?
“At the end of the day I tend to believe that the October 7 attack was a premeditated Iranian move intended to derail the process of normalizing our relations with Saudi Arabia and to reverse the green light the United States had given Israel for this process. They sacrificed Hamas for the sake of this interest of theirs and now they are going to think twice before they put their plan for a multiple-front assault on us into action. This is what gives the strongest meaning to our staying the course and seeing it through to conclusion. Arab countries have signed the Abraham Accords with us because they are well aware of what we have to offer in return. If we want to achieve normalization with Saudi Arabia, we will only be able to do this from a position of strength. I believe that despite our current despondency, despite the catastrophic humiliation we have endured, the united, Zionist Israeli spirit is going to bring us out of these doldrums to better days. This is the opportunity, now in our generation. This is our shift for future generations, united we will prevail – there’s no other choice.