The Strike on Iran: A Win for Israel

In a bold but well planned shabbat attack on Iran the IDF destroyed Iran’s most advanced air-defense systems, while delivering a setback to the country’s ballistic missile program as well. The attack, in response to Iran’s ballistic missile barrage earlier in the month which saw 180 armed projectiles land in Israel, was directed at military targets only in two southwestern provinces as well as in Tehran itself.

In the attack Saturday morning, more than 100 Israeli planes struck 23 different sites in Iran, confining their attacks to targets that demonstrated the understanding reached between US President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for Israel not to go after Iran’s nuclear production facilities or their oil delivery infrastructure.

Israeli news reports today indicated that Iran had four S-300 antimissile batteries, the most advanced in Tehran’s air-defense arsenal, all of which were destroyed in this operation. Those in the know say it will take Iran years to build back this capability.

Also struck was Parchin, where a plant is located that makes solid rocket fuel, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank. Nevertheless, US officials commented that Iran still has more than 3,000 ballistic missiles in its inventory.

The Israeli raid made use of 100 jet fighters augmented by refueling tankers as well, given the fact that the targets were up to 1,000 miles from Israeli air bases. Chalk this up for a win for Israel which will let all of us living here sleep a bit better, at least for a while.

Meanwhile, in Israel this morning at the Glilot Junction near Herzliya, an Israeli-Arab truck driver rammed his vehicle into an Egged bus stopped to take on and discharge passengers. 35 people were injured, some quite seriously, and the driver was eliminated.

In a related incident, a planned terror attack was thwarted at the Chizme junction in Judea when the attacked was identified and neutralized before he could do any damage. So the terror continues for sure.

What is quite amazing to me in all of this, is how the West has seemingly chosen to let Israel fight the war the West should be fighting. Everyone knows that the major source of terrorist activity in this region is being funded by Iran and carried out by its proxies in the area. Everyone also knows that the real aim of Iran is much broader than regional hegemony, as their interest is world domination.

Yet the West pressures Israel to restrain itself while Israel successfully fights the war that the very same West should be fighting. Rather than restraining us, threatening to cut back on our weapons supplies, and criticizing us at every opportunity for the very humane way we are conducting the war, they should be applauding us and giving us all of the weaponry we need to fight the war they prefer to sit out. Talk about an upside-down world. Wow.

At the end of the day we have to be eternally grateful for the IDF and its leadership.   I am always reminder of something Golda Meir said when she was Prime Minister: “We don’t thrive on military acts. We do them because we have to, and thank God we are efficient.” Thank God is right and thank you IDF as well.