With a strategic decision of enormous significance, the government has approved the purchase of two new fighter squadrons. The goal is nothing less than securing absolute air superiority in the coming decade.
This decision is not only rooted in security policy. It also touches a deeply embedded biblical principle: the right and duty of self-defense. Everything has its season — a time for war and a time for peace. Modern Israeli security doctrine moves within that tension. The desire for peace remains, but reality demands vigilance, preparation, and the ability to confront threats early and decisively.
The Ministerial Procurement Committee approved the acquisition of a fourth squadron of F-35 “Adir” stealth fighters from the US company Lockheed Martin, as well as an additional squadron of Boeing F-15IA aircraft. The total value amounts to tens of billions of shekels, including integration, maintenance, spare parts and logistical support.
The decision is part of a broad military buildup plan for the coming decade, with a total budget of around 350 billion shekels, already approved by the government and the Defense Ministry. The new squadrons are intended to form a central element of Israel’s military buildup in the face of growing regional threats.
Defense Minister Israel Katz made the direction unmistakably clear: the operational lessons from the most recent confrontation with Iran require accelerated military strengthening. The goal, he said, is to permanently secure the technological and qualitative advantage of the Israel Defense Forces and to remain one step ahead of Israel’s enemies.
Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram also emphasized the strategic dimension. The combination of the two aircraft types, he said, would provide maximum operational flexibility across a wide range of scenarios. At the same time, the decision underscores the central role of the security partnership between Israel and the United States.
As the next step, Israel’s procurement delegation in the United States was instructed to finalize the contracts with American government and military officials as soon as possible.
The message is clear: Israel is not preparing for the last war, but for the next one.
F-35 fighter jet. Photo: Press image, Lockheed Martin.
The decision to strengthen Israel militarily stands not only within the strategic context of the present, but also touches a deep biblical and historical dimension. In the Bible, the responsibility for self-defense is not a marginal issue, but part of national existence. Again and again, Israel is called to remain watchful and to confront dangers early — not out of aggression, but out of the duty to protect life.
“If someone comes to kill you, rise up and strike first.”
This quotation is not found word for word in the Bible, but comes from the Talmud. It expresses a central principle of biblical self-defense, known as din rodef, the law of the pursuer. Biblical foundations for it exist indirectly, for example in Exodus 22:1, which states that if a thief is killed while breaking in at night, no bloodguilt is incurred.
On this basis, the broader principle of preventive self-protection developed — a principle that has guided Israel’s security system since the founding of the state. It states a clear reality: anyone who wants to ensure survival cannot ignore threats.
After the Holocaust, this idea acquired existential force. “Never again” is not merely a moral appeal, but a strategic imperative. For the State of Israel, this means something very concrete: the ability to defend itself must never depend on others.
History has shown what happens when Jews are defenseless. From that comes a clear consequence for the present: Israel cannot afford a second Holocaust.
Military strength, therefore, is not only a question of security policy. It is an expression of historical responsibility — toward the victims of the past and the generations of the future.
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