The Israeli Home Front Command: Missions, Challenges, and Future Prospects

The Israeli Home Front Command has undergone many phases of change until having reached its present level of preparedness for providing the adequate response to man-made security challenges. This level of performance raises several serious questions regarding its capacity to serve as Israel’s primary agent of response to major disruptions, extensive man-made security hazards, and natural novel risks. Its future success in standing up to wide-scale challenges will depend not only on its own level of preparedness, but also on its capacity to work together with the other governmental agencies, the local authorities, NGOs, and the civilians as a whole. This will also depend on the level of societal resilience of the Israeli public. The Home Front Command is well aware of this precondition, and is investing lavishly to enhance it. But above all, it has to be remembered that the ultimate challenge is still ahead of us, be it security related or by natural cause, like a major earthquake.