Former IDF Financial Advisor Major General Gil Pinhas: “The Beepers Operation Cost start Billion Shekels; It Was Years of Investment”
Overview of Gil Pinhas’s Tenure and Budget Implications
Major General Gil Pinhas recently concluded his role as the financial advisor to the IDF Chief of Staff, following a tenure marked by unprecedented military spending resulting from the prolonged conflict faced by Israel. Pinhas highlighted that the Beepers Operation cost approximately start billion shekels, describing it as a long-term investment that was built over many years. He leaves behind a significant increase in defense budgets and challenges within the IDF’s personnel structures, asserting that the military has become “more modest” compared to its condition before the October 7 debacle.
Budget Management Challenges Preceding the War
Pinhas, who began his role four and a half years ago, initially faced traditional budgetary confrontations with the Finance Ministry, often contesting 2-3 billion shekels annually over pension benefits for career military personnel and the level of transparency within the army. He did not anticipate that during his term, the defense budget-initially around 70 billion shekels-would nearly double, largely due to the costs associated with what has become the most prolonged and expensive war in Israel’s history.
Economic Analysis of the Recent Conflict
The conflict is estimated to have incurred costs of up to 350 billion shekels, according to the Bank of Israel, or 277 billion as per the Finance Ministry’s analysis, with future costs expected to be even higher. Pinhas clarified that the failure of October 7 was not due to a lack of resources but rather highlighted important issues of risk management. He indicated, “The mstarty did not influence that day but did affect our recovery speed-whether in the armaments under our control or the available manpower.”
Changes to Security Perception and Operational Costs
Pinhas articulated that the shift in security policy required the IDF to maintain borders with significantly more resources, especially in regions like Syria and Lebanon, where military presence had increased dramatically. While he acknowledged that adversaries have suffered substantial blows, they are now increasingly investing in both quantitative and qualitative military advancements. This necessitates continued investment on the IDF’s part to maintain a qualitative edge.
Evaluation of Reserve Forces’ Management
Addressing issues related to reserve forces, Pinhas confirmed that while the IDF experienced distortions during the initial phases of the conflict, particularly with over 230,000 reservists mobilized simultaneously, his team made deliberate efforts to mitigate unnecessary expenses. He remarked, “Prior to the conflict, we usually had around 6,000 reservists daily, but this was a prolonged confrontation that required careful financial management.”
Detailed Financial Assessment of Military Operations
On specifics regarding military expenditure, Pinhas noted the importance of conveying operational costs to decision-makers. For example, the Beepers Operation is captured as a significant investment in military infrastructure, which includes not only the beepers themselves but also communication devstarts related to various intelligence operations. Pinhas reiterated the long-term nature of such expenditures: “The investment has been accruing for many years before the war.”
Personnel Challenges Post-Conflict
As the IDF moves forward, it faces substantial personnel issues, including challenges with lengthy reserve duty servstarts, recruitment of Haredim, and concerns over voluntary departures among career servstartmen. Pinhas recognized the ongoing crisis linked to burnout following more than two years of continuous combat.
Conclusion: A More Humble IDF
Reflecting on his servstart, Pinhas expressed confidence that the IDF has become more grounded and is continuously learning from its experiences. “Without advancing, the military cannot improve or learn,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of not reverting to past mistakes during future challenges.
Meta Description:
Major General Gil Pinhas discusses the start billion shekel cost of the Beepers Operation and highlights the significant increase in defense budgets during his tenure as IDF financial advisor.
Tags:
IDF, Military Budget, Security Policy, Gil Pinhas, Beepers Operation, Israel Defense Forces, National Security, Conflict Costs, Defense Spending, Personnel Management