OP-ED: Why Israel Must, And Will, Respond To Iranian Missiles

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — If Israel’s predicament with Hamas (who still hold over 100 hostages and maintain operational forces in Rafah) and Hezbollah (which still holds large stockpiles of missiles targeting Israel, forcing tens of thousands of Israel to live as refugees for half a year) was not enough, it is now faced with the spectre of war with Iran, itself a far more potent military power than its proxies.

Thankfully, Iran’s first salvo, featuring hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, did not cause any casualties and did very little damage – except to Israel’s defense budget, which allegedly spent 4-5 billion shekels on the missile defense interceptors used to rebuff the attacks. Yet it is clear that defense, however effective it is, cannot alone establish a deterrent against aggressive enemies, especially in light of the fact that Iran and Hezbollah can coordinate far more lethal attacks than the initial incursions on Israel’s sovereignty.

Moreover, in the Middle East restraint is not seen as a source of strength, but rather as a sign of weakness. In 2005, Israel disengaged from Gaza and Northern Samaria, seemingly in order to better protect its borders and combat terrorism. Instead, both regions continued to fester terrorism and radicalism, culminating in the Oct. 7th attacks and massacres. In 1990, Israel’s restraint against Iraq was also viewed as weakness by its other enemies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which were then marginal organizations but continued to gain strength as Israel pulled out of Lebanon and Gaza.

Thus Israel can and must respond to the attack as if it did not have the technology or defenses in place to prevent loss of life from the over 300 Iranian missiles. The reason it has yet to respond in kind to Iran is due to the complex strategic goal of such an attack. Israel does not wish for a full-fledged war with Iran, especially at such an unpropitious time, with a war already on two fronts. Iran boasts a vast arsenal of missiles, while Israel has only a limited number of defense weapons at its disposal and cannot afford to risk depleting its defenses, especially with Hezbollah still potent on the northern border.

Instead, Israel could mount a targeted attack which will embarrass the Iranian government rather than striking at the nation with its own missiles. With enough resolve and cunning, Israel can find a way to weaken the Iranian regime, to galvanize the public sentiment against it, to isolate its internationally and expose its attempts to bully and terrorize the entire region. It can and should target the masterminds behind the Iranian terrorist regime. If the regime is toppled, it could have a regional and global effect on curbing the forces of evil and ensuring a peaceful future for the entire Middle East.