Israel’s Strategic Transformation: A Hard Truth Amidst Tragedy

Israel is strategically in the best place it’s been in decades, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deserves much of the credit for that. This may not be a popular opinion, but it is one that holds up.

Here’s why:

Exactly one year ago, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the entire Iranian terror proxy network launched a full-scale war against Israel. Their goal: massacre as many Jews as possible and ultimately annihilate the Jewish state. This was no spontaneous event, but the culmination of years of planning by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, with support from Qatar and the Palestinian Authority.

Yes, Israel outright failed to preempt this attack. We knew the threat and saw them building up. Our leadership under various governments took no decisive action. Some might use this to blame Netanyahu, but honestly, who among us would have supported an invasion of Gaza and Lebanon to destroy Hamas and Hezbollah before October 7th?

The atrocities of that day are beyond comprehension, but it finally jolted Israel’s leadership into making the difficult decisions needed to decimate our enemies and ensure our survival. This shift in strategy not only changed Israel’s standing in the region, it created a stronger, more prepared, and more focused Israel.

Horrific as the day was, a number of miracles prevented more catastrophic events. First, Hamas acted without informing its Iranian backers or coordinating the attack with Hezbollah. Iran had been planning a similar Hezbollah-led ground invasion into northern Israel – a massacre with mass rape and kidnappings – exactly what unfolded in the south. Included in the plan was for Hamas to do its part in the south, and for its terror proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq to launch a barrage of missiles at Israel. If Iran’s full plan had been executed as intended, Israel likely would not have survived.

Miscoordination played a key part in our enemies’ failure. Hezbollah and Iran were caught off guard, allowing our troops time to focus on the immediate threat in the south without simultaneously facing a northern invasion.

We also saw the courageous and rapid response of hundreds of ordinary Israelis – people like you and me – who became heroes overnight. While the IDF took hours to organize its response, so many rushed into battle without orders, with and without weapons. These individuals saved countless lives and prevented the massacre from spreading to additional cities and towns. Without their courage, we could have been mourning thousands more this year.

Israel has since made unprecedented – almost miraculous –progress in dismantling tangible threats that have surrounded us for decades, including those terror groups supported by Iran and Qatar. One major deterrent to Israel neutralizing Iran’s nuclear capability has been the existence of Hezbollah on our northern border. For years, we were told that any action against Hezbollah would trigger a barrage of hundreds of thousands of rockets that could destroy the whole of Israel. 

Under Netanyahu’s leadership, that reality has changed. 

Israel dismantled Hamas’ infrastructure in Gaza and severely weakened Hezbollah in Lebanon. For the first time in years, Israel is openly discussing the possibility of striking Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This strategic shift comes from Israel being in its strongest position in decades.

You don’t have to like Netanyahu to recognize that he has made difficult and necessary decisions in the face of enormous pressure. The Biden administration has been consistently trying to limit Israel’s military actions. For example, Washington insisted that Israel refrain from an offensive in Gaza or from capturing Rafah. Despite the pressure, Netanyahu pushed ahead, knowing that cutting off the main artery for weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza was necessary to defeat Hamas.

The situation was similar in southern Lebanon when again, Netanyahu was pressured by the Biden administration, this time to prevent aggressive action against Hezbollah. The turning point came when Israel carried out targeted assassinations of Hezbollah’s leadership with James Bond-like precision. The beeper and walkie-talkie operations crippled Hezbollah’s mid-level command and showed Israelis that we could indeed handle Hezbollah. Many in the IDF and intelligence community were also against these operations. Yet they have proved decisive and highlighted to the world – especially the Muslim world – that Israel is deadly serious about destroying Hezbollah.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable moments came when Netanyahu authorized a strike on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah without first informing the Biden administration. Netanyahu knew that Washington would have never approved the operation, but he understood that Israel’s security could not be compromised by diplomatic hesitation. Israel is willing – and able – to act independently when its survival is on the line.

It is also important to note that a part of Israel’s political leadership — including Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid — was ready to stop the war with Hezbollah. (Gantz suggested delaying the conflict for another year or two as if the international community would ever grant Israel legitimacy to act in the future). Netanyahu didn’t listen to those dissenting voices, and as a result, and because of his leadership, Israel eliminated Hezbollah’s leadership and neutered Iran’s deterrence via Hezbollah.

As we begin 5785, it is comforting to know that Israel is in its best strategic position since 1948. We are currently dismantling the terror infrastructure in both Gaza and Lebanon and standing strong in the face of Iran’s nuclear threat. 

Tragically, it took a massacre to awaken the nation. The pain of that day is still with us and will remain for years to come. Yet Israel is now safer, stronger, and more resilient, thanks to having Netanyahu at the helm, finally doing what it must to defend itself and ensure its survival.