(Photo by John Walters)

Three months after the October 7 tragedy, Hudson President and CEO John P. Walters traveled to Israel to get a firsthand look at the security situation and assess how America can support its vital ally.

In an analysis outlining his strategic understanding of the situation, Walters found a passive defense strategy that is inadequate for a deadly and worsening threat. Read his full memo on why defense is not enough to achieve deterrence, or see the key points below.

Key Insights

1. Israel is over-reliant on the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

The Iron Dome is impressive. But it is deeply flawed in two strategic respects. First, the system’s costs and requirements now make it vulnerable to the sheer numbers of rockets that threaten Israel from multiple fronts—and the promised Iron Beam directed energy weapon is not likely to change this. Second—and worse—this “Iron Dome thinking” put Israel in a position of accepting rocket attacks by the hundreds­ rather than taking action to stop them before their launch.

2. Passive defense is not deterrence.

Passivity creates time and space for an enemy to develop successful vectors for new attacks—arsenals of rockets, an infrastructure of tunnels, and training in techniques of infiltration and murder. Moreover, Hamas and Hezbollah’s terrible answer to the Iron Dome is the use of human shields: first Palestinian civilians, and now Israeli and American hostages.

3. America pressed Israel to adopt the deadly policy of restraint—and continues to do so today.

American policy promised a grand solution and would not support proactive deterrence. Israel’s indispensable ally created—and maintains—the strategic conditions for a long erosion of Israeli security and the extreme crisis that is all too visible today. Israelis are most at risk, but all US allies in the Middle East are dependent on a strategic awakening in America: the recognition that deterrence is not something a state can achieve and then take for granted as the status quo. Successful deterrence requires active pursuit—together. The false conception of deterrence—be strong and stand back—has failed. The Israelis are now trying to reverse this error. They need America to join them.

Quotes may be edited for clarity and length. 

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