'Military ability is impressive. It's not enough'

Outgoing top defense official pans ‘resounding failure’ of Israel’s war strategy

In rare interview, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dror Shalom, who headed Defense Ministry’s Political-Military Bureau, urges diplomacy, says government could have freed Gaza hostages earlier

An outgoing senior Defense Ministry official launched a broadside against the government’s strategic conduct throughout the multifront war that began nearly three years ago, accusing Israel’s leaders of squandering a series of military achievements.

“Operationally-militarily, there are extraordinary achievements. Matters speak for themselves. But strategically, there’s a resounding failure here,” Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dror Shalom, who until several months ago headed the Defense Ministry’s Political-Military Bureau, said during an interview on Monday at a conference organized by the Institute for National Security Studies.

“On a strategic level, we haven’t been able to get to a decisive result on any of the fronts. Hamas is still on its feet; Hezbollah is far from disarming; Iran, although we rolled back the nuclear program a bit — it still exists, and is conducting negotiations with the Americans on [the Strait of] Hormuz, not even on the nuclear issue.”

He continued, “And all of this is as Israel’s [international] standing is at a nadir, unprecedented in my opinion, and also relations with the United States… are not at their best.”

The comments, made during Shalom’s first-ever on-camera interview, mark an unusually blunt critique from an official who spent decades in Israel’s military and defense establishment, including under the current government. Previously, Shalom served as a senior military intelligence officer and as national security adviser to the cabinet. He currently serves as a senior adviser at JPMorgan Chase.

“Our hands are tied when it comes to strategic thinking,” he said. “The next government in Israel, whatever it is… needs to initiate. Military ability is impressive. It’s not enough. You need to initiate and improve Israel’s position in the world.”

Shalom urged the government to pursue diplomatic initiatives that are already underway in order to resolve some of the fronts where Israel has fought since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, sparked the war in Gaza and fighting on the country’s other borders.

He said Israel must work to advance US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, which has largely stalled amid Hamas’s refusal to disarm. Israel now controls most of the enclave, but Hamas retains control over areas with most of Gaza’s population.

“You need to create an alternative to Hamas,” he said. “You can’t create an alternative to Hamas just by using force.” He added that Israel must “hunt down” every Hamas member.

A ‘historic opportunity’ in the north

Likewise, in Israel’s north, Shalom recommended reaching a deal that would cut off the flow of weapons from Syria to the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, though he acknowledged that he distrusted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist.

He also recommended signing an agreement with Lebanon that could establish relations between the countries while simultaneously continuing to work on disarming the terror group.

“On the northern front, Syria and Lebanon, it’s a historic opportunity,” he said. “In Lebanon, we could reach a peace agreement with them and at the same time disarm Hezbollah. These are complicated processes. I don’t trust anyone. I think we need to create a new story.”

He also suggested working harder to strengthen relations with the United States by restoring bipartisan support for Israel and improving connections with American Jews. And he argued that relations with Egypt and Jordan are being “neglected.” And he recommended more investment in Israel’s education system.

Shalom said he supported launching a war against Iran in late February alongside the United States, and praised Israel for pushing back the country’s weapons program and killing its nuclear scientists. But he poured cold water on the idea that it would lead to the collapse of the regime, referring to a scrapped plan for Kurdish militias to invade Iran during the US-Israeli war, which aimed to “create the conditions” for the Islamic Republic’s fall.

“Whoever thought the regime can be toppled with airstrikes and the Kurds — a delusion, simply a delusion,” he said.

Says Israel could have brought the hostages back ‘earlier and more’

Regarding the Gaza war,  he issued an implicit criticism of the government, saying, “One of the only achievements, in my opinion, is that we returned the hostages,” but crediting Trump and anti-government protests, rather than Israel’s leaders, for keeping the issue at the top of the agenda.

He asserted that the captives could have been returned earlier and in greater numbers.

“Returning the hostages was a moral duty that Israel had,” he said. “The protesters, who were often criticized, are the ones who, in a very significant way, pushed the American government to make a decision and to bring the hostages back home.”

He continued, “We could have brought them back earlier, and more,” though he called the issue “water under the bridge.”

He said he was waiting for a state commission of inquiry to be formed into Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, saying he would be “the first” to come and testify.

He emphasized that diplomatic and military initiatives need to complement each other.

“We talk only about using force. We need to also provide hope here,” he said. “I know the world’s players a little. They’re looking for us. They want to connect to our systems, but without a diplomatic change, it won’t happen.”