Operation Defensive Shield was the most significant point of light in the darkness of the second intifada.
He signaled the reversal of the trend, and the return of control of what was happening on the ground to Israel.
It took several more years for the suicide bombings to stop completely, but the operation was a tie-breaker.
The road to operation was long and bloody.
Israel was required to restrain a large number of attacks and casualties, until it had accumulated all the components required to make the decision to go ahead.
This is not only the widespread public support in the country, but also the self-confidence of the combat forces on the ground in their capacity, and of the decision-makers in them, and most of all - the international legitimacy, without which Israel would have struggled to fight its former partner.
War on the house
There were quite a few significant milestones in this process.
Prominent among them was the January 2002 takeover of the arms ship Karin I - which carried a large amount of weapons from Iran to the Palestinian Authority - which made it clear that Yasser Arafat had become a common enemy;
The operations in the refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm, which taught that it is possible to operate in the depths of Palestinian territory without paying a heavy price for it;
And the heavy price of blood in March 2002 - more than 130 killed - following which Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave the green light for action.
IDF tank in Jenin during Operation Defensive Shield, Photo: Reuters
The takeover of Palestinian territory was easier and faster than initially estimated.
This was due to the plans prepared in advance, the high readiness of the forces, and the great determination of the fighters and the Israeli home front.
The recruitment rates for reservists in the operation reached a peak, because it was clear that this was a war for the home: any terrorist or explosives captured on the ground did not explode in the heart of Israel.
The first move was to isolate the Palestinian capital, Ramallah, and in its fragmented heart - Arafat's headquarters.
Walnut and Golani Reconnaissance fighters took over the compound, turning the Palestinian leader into a prisoner in his own home.
At the same time, the IDF took control of the terrorist capital, Nablus, and subsequently of Tulkarm and Qalqilya, from which many of the suicide bombings were launched. In Lebanon.
Willingness to pay a price
In fact, only in two places did the IDF get into an unexpected complication. The first, in the Jenin refugee camp, where 13 reservists were killed in a battle with terrorists, and the second in Bethlehem, where Palestinian wanted men took over the Church of the Nativity. , And overthrew the refugee camp;
He resolved the second in a dialogue, in which the wanted persons were allowed to go abroad.
The unequivocal decision of Palestinian terrorism, which began with a defensive wall, resonated throughout the region.
The victory at the Defensive Wall made it clear that Israel is strong and willing to pay a price for its security and the security of its citizens.
And the operation also had additional lessons to learn.
The first is the need to maintain operational and intelligence control over the area, as a key condition for counterterrorism.
The second is the need for a strong ground army, which can operate in crowded cities and defeat the enemy.
And the third is the obligation to formulate broad public and political agreement in Israel, along with international legitimacy, in order to embark on a complicated and bloody campaign and end it with a resounding victory.
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