With all the news about the protests on college campuses, it seems like the back and forth between Israel and Iran was several news cycles ago. However, we need to take a moment and look back on how monumental this exchange was. For several reasons.
Reason 1: Israel Does Not Stand Alone
In March, the Economist issued a cover with the headline "Israel Alone" (pictured to the right). We know that with America as an ally, Israel is not alone, but the attack by Iran showed that we have friends in the neighborhood, too.
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, France, the US, and others joined together to shoot down 99% of the missiles fired from Iran. We knew that Jordan was a partner in peace, but can you imagine what previous generations would say if you told them Jordan would actively protect the state of Israel? Truly remarkable.
Reason 2: The Line in the Sand
Many observers of Middle Eastern politics and alliances have long believed that the region is divided by a line in the sand. On one side is Israel. On the other is Iran. Nations are lining up on one side or the other, and it seems like the majority of Arab nations are on Israel's side. Sure, many may look upon Israel unfavorably, but they despise Iran. Iran is a destabilizing agent in a region that is trying to move forward.
Look for Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, and Saudi Arabia to be the next to normalize relations with Israel.
Reason 3: Israel HUMILIATED Iran.
There is not enough coverage on this. Israel and her allies turning away 99% of missiles and drones is a miracle in itself, but Israel's response was a thing of beauty.
Remember how Israel had hours of advanced warning when drones from Iran started heading Israel's way? Compare that to the coverage of Israel's response.
First, we heard reports of explosions. Grainy footage showed fire and smoke in the distance. It was unclear what had happened and who was responsible. Was it a fire? A missile? A bomb? No one knew.
Israel sent a message. They struck with incredible precision very close to Iran's nuclear sites. They dismantled radar facilities. And they did so without anyone knowing how they did it. They may have used a type of missile that is not detectable by radar. They may have used surface to ground strikes. It is even possible that the strikes came from the ground within Iran's territory.
Message received. Israel can hit Iran without warning. It can do so using regional allies and assets. If Iran wants to go down the path of war, they now know that Israel is vastly superior in every meaningful military way.
Keep an Eye on Rafah, Ceasefire Talks
Rafah is Hamas' last stronghold. Israel is closing in, and Hamas knows it. The ceasefire talks over the past several months have been repeatedly derailed by unrealistic demands from Hamas leaders. They are likely only going through the charade of coming to the negotiating table to delay Israel's Rafah operation as long as they can.
Israel must go into Rafah. It is the key to rooting Hamas out of the Gaza strip. I expect we'll see more outrageous ceasefire demands (like this one) just so they can try to make Israel look like they are the ones rejecting peace.
As this fight rages on, just remember two things: Hamas started this war, and Hamas is the reason why it's still going on.
Mike's Memes
Friend of This Week in Zionism Mike Fein sent in some of his favorite memes from the social media world this week...take a look below!
