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Ronen Itsik

Col. (res.) Ronen Itsik is a former commander in the Armored Corps and author of “A Man in a Tank.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2019. Credit: Sasa Dzambic photography/Shutterstock.

Putin won the war for Ukraine before it began

Rest assured, the West does not intend to spill blood for Kyiv.

Ronen Itsik

Jan. 26, 2022

Israeli soldiers during a swearing-in ceremony for the Paratroopers Brigade, at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem on Nov. 11, 2021. Photo by Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90.

A professional army: A danger in more ways than one

Not only will a professional military not be better, cheaper, or offer more equality, it will also be a death blow to the Israeli social fabric.

Ronen Itsik

Nov. 29, 2021

Israeli infantry reservists prepare to cross into the Gaza Strip, at a deployment area near the Israeli-Gaza border, Jan. 12, 2009. Credit: Roni Schutzer/Flash90.

For how much longer will IDF neglect its reservists?

The military cannot rely on aerial capabilities alone and must invest efforts to properly train its reserve soldiers.

Ronen Itsik

Oct. 20, 2021

Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar at a rally in Gaza City, May 24, 2021. Photo by Atia Mohammed/Flash90.

Hamas is dictating Israel’s policies on Jerusalem

Israel must topple the Gaza Strip’s terrorist regime and eradicate its military capabilities before today’s acquiescence becomes tomorrow’s norm.

Ronen Itsik

June 10, 2021

Blue and White Party leaders Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi at party headquarters in Tel Aviv on April 9, 2019. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90.

Political warfare again proves too tough for Israeli generals

Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi are the latest in a long line of former IDF chiefs who charged into the political battlefield only to be defeated.

Ronen Itsik

Dec. 30, 2020

Israeli Defense Benny Gantz during a visit to the Israel-Lebanon border on Nov. 17, 2020. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

The left’s treatment of Gantz is shameful

As an Israeli and a former IDF commander, I am ashamed of the way the leftist camp treats people who have sacrificed so much for the state.

Ronen Itsik

Dec. 23, 2020

Syrian President Bashar Assad. Credit: Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom/ABr via Wikimedia Commons.

Assad must realize the cost of allowing Iran free rein in Syria

With its strike against the Syrian military, Israel sent a loud, clear message: “Make no mistake, Syria is in our sights.”

Ronen Itsik

Nov. 19, 2020

Members of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, seen during a patrol in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on April 27, 2020. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90.

Changing the Hamas equation

The approach of withdrawal and "separation" has proven to incur the maximum cost. There is no worse alternative.

Ronen Itsik

June 18, 2020

A fire rages in a greenhouse near the Gaza border on Oct. 9, 2018. Credit: Screenshot.

Hamas has the last word. What now?

It is hard not to snicker at the IDF spokesperson's absurd announcement about destroying buildings and “significant” Hamas assets, even as they continued raining fire on us. This too is embarrassing beyond belief.

Ronen Itsik

Nov. 14, 2018