The European Union, despite strong economic and diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, is often the first to condemn its behavior and, moreover, gives millions of dollars to institutions that undermine its security. Eldad Beck writes:

[In the] past, Israeli governments sought, for obvious reasons, to tie Israel’s economy to that of Europe. Israel has much to offer in many fields, and the Europeans have a lot of money. Geographical proximity to the continent makes Europe Israel’s main trade partner. While Israel enjoys access to various major EU programs, this relationship, which contributed to Israel’s transformation into a stable and leading economy, came at a heavy price: the Europeans conditioned this cooperation on their involvement in Israel’s internal affairs and a significant role in the promotion of a “peace process” between Israel and the Palestinians. In retrospect, this role was meant from the outset to allow Europe to defend Palestinian interests at the expense of Israel’s.

This is not just about unlimited and unconditional assistance to the Palestinians in their struggle to “liberate” Judea and Samaria and, in the past, the Gaza Strip from “Israeli occupation.” . . . [EU] funds have allowed the Palestinian Authority and the UN refugee agency-education systems to propagate anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement for years. [In addition], the EU encourages the financing of bodies that seek to eradicate the Jewish character of Israel and transform it from an “apartheid state” to a “state of all its citizens.” This is not about bringing change to the status of the “occupied territories,” but rather a fundamental change to the state of Israel. The EU also supports groups and organizations that oppose the current government’s policies, in an effort to influence internal Israeli politics. . . .

And yet, all this could not have happened had successive Israeli governments not allowed the phenomenon to develop and intensify.

Israel is not a European colony and certainly has no interest in joining the European Union in its present state. If the EU is interested in good ties with Israel, and there are many reasons and motives for this to be the case, it must immediately cease its subversive efforts to impose on Israel arrangements and solutions that are neither to its advantage nor to its benefit. As a sovereign state, Israel must both demand this and make every effort to prevent it from happening.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.