The National Home Front Exercise Was Canceled: Spin or "Revenues Ran Out"?

May 9, 2014   

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz agreed last night (Thursday) to postpone the large home front exercise "Turning Point 8," which was supposed to take place during the next month. A new date has not yet been set for the exercise under the new Home Front Authority to be established in the Defense Ministry. They claim that the exercise was canceled due to budgetary problems and the dissolution of the Home Front Defense Ministry. However, a senior official in the political establishment says: "The exercise has already been budgeted for, it's a spin." The Office of the Defense Minister's Adviser for Media stated: "The following is the announcement from the Defense Minister's Media Office regarding the cancellation of the large home front exercise following the budget crisis, today, Friday, May 9, 2014: Defense Minister Moshe (Bogi) Ya'alon and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz agreed last night to postpone the home front exercise "Turning Point 8," which was supposed to take place during June. No new date has been set for the exercise under the new Home Front Authority to be established in the Defense Ministry. The decision to postpone the exercise stems mainly from the crisis The budget in which the defense establishment and the IDF are located. "Turning Point 8" is the large annual home front exercise, in which the Home Front Command, government ministries, local authorities, the education system, emergency and rescue bodies (police, firefighting, Magen David Adom) and other entities, including the Israel Electric Corporation, Mekorot and the petrochemical industries, practice in the framework of war and missiles falling on Israel. On behalf of a senior security source: "Postponing the exercise is the first step towards an almost complete cessation of training in the IDF and the defense establishment due to budget constraints. This is not a game and we are not making terrible moves. This is simply reality: the resources for the defense establishment and the IDF have run out, and we are stopping the activity. As a result, we will dramatically decrease the level of competence, alertness and readiness, not only in the home front but also in other sectors, including in the regular combat units and reserve units.".