Netanyahu: “Iran Is Trying to Encircle Us” – Gili Cohen
(dailyalert.org, Feb. 17, 2015)

Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, the new chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, assumed his post on Monday. At the ceremony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted: “The Middle East is disintegrating. States are collapsing. An empire is charging into this vacuum – Iran….It is trying to encircle us with three murderous arms – one in Lebanon, one in Gaza and a new one on the Golan. It vows openly to destroy the State of Israel in one way or another. Joining it are the forces of extremist Islam who are breaking through every crack in the Middle East and bringing their murderous acts to the entire world.”  (Ha’aretz)

IDF Sees Rising Threats from the North – Ron Ben-Yishai

Until about a month ago, IDF Military Intelligence and General Staff officers were of the opinion that the Palestinian arena (the West Bank, Gaza, and the delegitimization campaign around the globe) would be the IDF’s primary concern and field of operation during 2015. The prevailing assessment now, however, is that the northern arena is about to become the main source of potential for a large-scale conflagration. Hizbullah and senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials have decided recently to turn the Golan Heights into an active conflict zone with Israel, and they have made extensive headway in their preparations to realize their intentions. (Ynet News)