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🇮🇱 Israel /Energy & Infrastructure

Experts warn of essential service disruption if Israel's electricity supply disrupted - study

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Experts warn that a prolonged disruption to Israel's electricity supply could lead to widespread failures in essential services.
  • A study by Reichman University's Yannay Institute highlights the critical need for Israel to prepare for such a catastrophic attack by enemies.
  • While Israel has faced threats, a nationwide blackout remains a significant concern, necessitating robust contingency planning beyond individual preparedness measures.

Experts are warning that a prolonged disruption to Israel's electricity supply could trigger a cascade of failures across essential services, underscoring the critical need for national preparedness. A new study from Reichman University's Yannay Institute for Energy Security highlights the potential for widespread disruption if the country's power grid is compromised.

Be Prepared! has been the motto of the international Scouts Movement since 1907, but it would be worth adopting in Israel for coping the not-too-likely possibility that an enemy would succeed in knocking out its entire electricity supply.

— Study authorsHighlighting the need for Israel to adopt a preparedness motto for potential power grid attacks.

The institute, dedicated to advancing energy security, emphasizes that the possibility of a nationwide blackout has evolved from a theoretical threat to an issue with immediate and far-reaching implications. This concern has been amplified by previous warnings from the Israel Electric Corporation and Noga, Israel's national electricity system operator.

Israel has been at war with Iran, which targeted our infrastructure, but our lights didn’t go off. We have not only to prevent it but to plan how to cope if it does.

— Avri SchechterDirector of the Yannay Institute on the distinction between past threats and the potential impact of a full blackout.

Avri Schechter, director of the Yannay Institute, stressed that while Israel has endured wartime conditions, including attacks on infrastructure, a complete power outage presents a unique and severe challenge. He noted that individual measures, such as stockpiling generators or supplies, are insufficient. "We have not only to prevent it but to plan how to cope if it does," Schechter insisted.

There is no reason for Israelis to store large number of water bottles, cash under the floorboards, or endless cans of food in their pantries.

— Avri SchechterDirector of the Yannay Institute, suggesting individual stockpiling is not the solution to a potential blackout.

According to Schechter and Dr. Asaf Tzachor, founder and academic director of the institute, the primary danger of a prolonged blackout lies not just in the loss of electricity itself, but in the subsequent breakdown of life-sustaining systems in a modern society. The study advocates for comprehensive planning to manage the consequences of such a catastrophic event.

The main danger in a prolonged blackout is not just the loss of electricity itself, but the gradual breakdown of the systems that sustain life in a modern co

— Avri Schechter and Dr. Asaf TzachorExplaining the critical risks associated with a prolonged power outage.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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