18 April 2024
Sirens rang out and explosions were heard across Israel early Sunday morning as Iran launched a wave of more than 300 drones and missiles at the country in its first-ever direct attack on the Jewish state.
The revolutionary regime that took power in Teheran in 1979 has been threatening to annihilate Israel - which it calls "the little Satan" - for decades. So far it has been carrying out its intentions via proxies (Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis etc). This was the first-ever open attack directly by Tehran on the Jewish state.
This weekend's attack was in response to Israel’s (alleged) recent elimination of leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in Damascus. Iran had been threatening relatiation for weeks. It was just a question of when, how and where it would happen.
The main target of the attack appeared to be a sensitive airbase in southern Israel, Nevatim, home to the F-35 stealth fighter jet, the military’s most advanced aircraft.
Miraculously, Israel and its allies neutralized 99% of the projectiles while in flight. Virtually zero damage was done. This incredible defence was due to the remarkable alliance that came together Saturday – Israel, together with US, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Qatar in a large joint war room to coordinate efforts against Iranian missiles and drones. Britain and France were also involved in the defence of Israel.
Although thwarted, the magnitude of the attack should not be under-estimated. This was an all-out declaration of war against Israel. f they had hit their targets, thousands of people could have been killed.
Israel has not yet decided how to respond. Leaders of Western nations are scrambling to convince Israel to act “with restraint”. US President Biden advised Israel to “take the win”.
The fear of escalation is remarkable given the immensity of the attack. If a similar attack of this scale were carried on the USA, UK or on any other Western state, that state would justifiably respond in a massive counter.
But in the case of Israel, the world expects it to keep turning the other cheek to the incessant attempts to kill its people.
Israel faces a dilemma. It knows that in the Middle East showing weakness may only incite further aggression. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this week with the visiting German and British foreign ministers in Jerusalem, telling them Israel reserves the right to self-defense in the wake of Iran’s missile and drone attack. “I want to make it clear, we will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself,” he says.
On the hand, Israel is not looking for a regional war. And it knows that Iran has already been humiliated. As one commentator put it, Iran, which officially continues to hail the success of its strikes, knows very well that it may have shot itself in the foot. “Rather than build upon the international isolation Israel is experiencing over the war in Gaza and thwarting a regional anti-Iran alliance backed by the West, Tehran managed to force the alliance into the open and give it a showcase for how effective US-led cooperation can be.”
Or as one Arab commentator noted: “The mountain was in labor but it gave birth to a mouse. This applies to Iran’s response to Israel’s bombing of Tehran’s consulate in Damascus. This happened after nearly 45 years of threats to “wipe Israel out of existence” and boasting of Iran’s military capabilities. There is no doubt that the capabilities of the Revolutionary Guard are very limited. It is merely a trumpet and nothing more, just much ado.”
The Editorial Team - Israel & Christians Today
|
