JERUSALEM
Israeli Chief-of-Staff Benny Gantz said Monday that Israel must remain ready for fluctuations and threats in the Middle East.
"The nature of the threats faced by Israel has changed dramatically due to strategic changes in the region; therefore, Israeli forces have introduced the necessary adjustments to their structure," Gantz said at Israel's annual Herzliya Conference, which kicked off Sunday.
"At the end of this month, there will be a structural change in the Israeli Air Force, which will dramatically increase its abilities," he added.
In a speech, Gantz also addressed the Iranian nuclear file, emphasizing what he described as the need to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capacity with the use of international pressure – while keeping the military option on the table.
As for the Syrian file, the Israeli commander said: "As long as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in power, there will be no real solution to the crisis."
He also asserted that Lebanon's Hezbollah was playing a significant role in events in Syria.
The Herzliya Conference, which is organized by the Institute for Policy and Strategy in Herzliya, is considered one of Israel's most highly-anticipated events.
This year's edition is being held with the theme, "Israel and the future of the Middle East."
Since 2000, the conference has hosted several prominent figures, including U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, and ex-Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad.
It typically features high-profile addresses by the Israeli president, prime minister and army chief-of-staff.
The city of Herzliya was built on the ruins of Saidna Ali, a Palestinian village destroyed in 1948 in the aftermath of Israel's founding. It was later renamed Herzliya after Theodore Herzl, considered the founder of modern Zionism.
The conference's 2014 edition is expected to discuss several local and regional issues of political and economic importance, including the Israel-Palestine peace process, Israel's state budget, the Iranian nuclear file, Israeli regional relations and challenges, and energy security.
By Anees Barghouthy
www.aa.com.tr/en
