Sky News international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn said from Jerusalem that many in Israel cannot accept that their country is now safer and that Iran must be stopped from doing so again. I wrote that I claim that.
by Dominic Waghorn, International Affairs Editor @Dominic Waghorn
Monday 15 April 2024 22:25, United Kingdom
Will you seize victory or fight back?
Issues that touch the hearts of Israelis in the wake of the incident Iranmissile onslaught and the focus of heated debate in Jerusalem.
The outcome will determine the immediate fate of the region. A return to shadow warfare, or a full-scale escalation to something more serious.
joe biden And other allies argue that Israel should have many victories: IsraelThe military success in repelling an Iranian ballistic attack and the assassination of several senior Iranian officials at the Damascus consulate on April 1 were blamed on Israel for provoking Iranian retaliation.
And some Israeli media outlets are making even bigger claims.
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Questions remain about the steady process of improving relations between Israel and its former Arab ally since October 7. Saturday night showed it's still alive and well.
Although details are not known, many Arab countries helped Israel shoot down Iranian missiles or brought in Israeli fighter jets to do so.
There is heated debate here about how the coalition government's efforts are the template for the future. Its supporters say Israel should build on, rather than risk, unprecedented cooperation from its former enemy.
“All sides must show restraint.”
But more right-wing hawks reject that.
“If a bully tries to hit you 350 times and only succeeds seven times, you haven't won,” former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a long cry for immediate action against Iran.
Many here cannot accept that Israel is any safer just because a sophisticated telegraph threat that took hours to reach Israel was averted in one night. . They argue that Iran must be prevented from trying to do this again.
“How do we stop it?” asks Bennett, “by imposing a very painful price.”
So while Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden all say restraint is in Israel's best interests, many here are not convinced.
Israelis are wary of entrusting their security to others. Jewish history shows tragically that it has failed in the past.
read more:
How did Biden view the Iran attack?
Israel 'knows what our second retaliation will be' – Iranian ambassador
How big is Iran's military?
As a result, while the world is concerned about Israeli retaliation that could further deepen and escalate the conflict in the region, some in Israel believe that immediate action is necessary for long-term security. They argue that it is necessary and that doing so could be very dangerous.
Reports suggest that hawks are dominant within the government. The question is not whether Israel will retaliate, but when and with what.
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One would expect a Goldilocks option. Not so hot that we risk all-out regional war, but not so cold that we can't land a punch to stop Iran from doing it again.
It's not easy in this volatile region.
