The IDF F-35 over Beirut. Hubris or Deterrence?

via Haaretz.

With U.S. President Donald Trump at its side and following a series of military gains in the north, Israel is zigzagging irresponsibly on the boundary between deterrence and arrogance. This behavior is not surprising when it comes to politicians. Certainly not in regard to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz who, like a dyed-in-the-wool internet commenter, told the European Union this week to go to “a thousand thousand hells”; nor in regard to a number of MKs and journalists who have spoken of the events of recent weeks in terms of a divine miracle. What’s more surprising is the way the Israel Defense Forces stumbled in its decision to publish a photograph of an F-35 aircraft on an operational sortie, the first of its kind in the world, over Beirut.

One can understand, albeit barely, the considerations that led the Israel Air Force’s commander, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, to display the image at a meeting of commanders of foreign air forces that he hosted on Tuesday in Herzliya. Israel wants to show that the advanced warplane is already in use in operational missions. There is certainly a deterrent value to the sight of the plane above Beirut’s international airport and over the city’s Dahiya neighborhood, home to the city’s Shi’ite population, during a heightened period of tension in the north. But it still comes off like inordinate swagger, and perhaps also an attempt to rehabilitate the IAF’s image following the downing of an F-16 during the previous escalation of hostilities with Iran and Syria, in February.

Story here.


via Times of Israel.

Senior cabinet ministers reportedly slammed Israeli Air Force chief Amikam Norkin for releasing a picture and details of an Israeli F-35 stealth fighter high above Beirut, saying the move was “arrogant.”

At a cabinet meeting held Wednesday, ministers condemned the display of the image as “unnecessary arrogance and showing off,” and also “inappropriate and unhelpful,” with one minister declaring it is the kind of thing that should not be revealed even to countries closely allied with Israel, Hadashot news reported from within the closed-door meeting.

Although the report didn’t identify which ministers made the comments it noted that Defense Minister Avidgor Liberman told the meeting that the photo was displayed without his knowledge, or that of IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.

Story here. 

Was this hubris or deterrence?

That's not the proper choice.  There should have been another option.

This wasn't hubris or deterrence, this was batshit stupid, arrogant beyond belief and an obvious propaganda play.

This was an amateur move from a force that I considered professional.

I don't know what the IDF is doing but this wasn't a good move.  Additionally the "glory" of the announcement is starting to fade and fade fast.

I've read stories that many experts are claiming that the plane was used on "lesser" missions.  That it played "quarterback" (as if that was necessary in the air space they're operating in) or that it performed recon (again...was it necessary to use the F-35?).

This was a pure propaganda play to give the F-35 the "used in combat" moniker but the IDF shat all over the play.  Fortunately for Israel they have cabinet members that will call them on their idiocy.

The only real question that remains to be answered is this. 

If the Israeli Air Force leader did this without knowledge of his superiors then is it time for him to be early retired?