In the end, because of Israel's robust defense technology, Iran's recent drone and ballistic missile attack on Israel's urban centers was little more than a potentially deadly fireworks show, reportedly choreographed by the United States, in coordination with Iran, "so that no one will be hurt and war with Israel will be avoided" -- apparently not with Israel. Make no mistake, though. Iran is capable and willing to engage in a far more strategic display of power in the Middle East.
American and British military assets were also in play, blunting the Iranian missile offensive and demonstrating solidarity with our ally at a time when self-described "progressive" forces here and around the world have been siding with the terrorist group Hamas, and seeking to delegitimize the State of Israel. These ostensibly pro-Palestinian collaborators – it sounds better than "supporting Hamas terrorists" even if it does nothing to help Palestinians rid themselves of their corrupt leaders or have a better life -- were either mute or quietly celebratory after the October 7th Hamas attack that massacred, raped and desecrated Israelis. What they, and one suspects Hamas, did not quite anticipate was an Israeli response that reminded the world that the days of Jews suffering in silence from organized murder are over.
Much the way German civilians in the ruins of the Third Reich began to realize that Hitler may not have been such a good thing, there seem to be many Palestinians, who may even have voted for Hamas, with its agenda of eliminating Israel from the map, but are now having second thoughts (here, here, here, here and here).
Hamas, however, is little more than a tool of the Iranians, who have made no pretense about seeking to dominate the Middle East as their seemingly presumed historic right. While the drone attacks were evidently a deliberate sky show, the Iranians are perfectly capable of blocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as they have already threatened. As a reminder, the Strait provides the only viable sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is considered among the world's most strategically important waterways for international commerce. Iran could, for instance, place mines in these waters and let their allies, the Houthis, take the fall.
Were this to occur, the White House and the Western democracies would need to respond with unprecedented speed, force, and resolution and finally confront Iran with the same intensity as the Israelis responded to Hamas's October 7 murder rampage. Whether this would be an assault on Iran's key export facilities; oil; global economic sanctions that shut down the flow of hard currency to Tehran, with secondary sanctions for countries that continue to do business with Iran; or a calculated cyberattack that would upend their society, the Iranians might start to contemplate what would happen if the Western democracies were "off the leash."
If Hamas's murders sought to disrupt the diplomatic rapprochement between Israel and neighboring Arab nations, they not only failed, but also failed to consider an Israeli response that would end the world as they knew it.
We need to appreciate that Iran and its puppets appear to view the White House as apparently dedicated -- like British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's "peace for our time" in 1938 -- to a policy of diplomatic "conflict resolution" appeasement, which undoubtedly will not work any better now than it did then. "Talking" and "meetings" just enable the adversary to buy time to strengthen its military -- in this instance, that means Iran finalizing its nuclear weapons.
America's adversaries -- such as Communist China, Russia and Iran and North Korea – seem to believe that Western democracies are in a historic retreat and that the time is ripe for their own ascendancy through violence, intimidation, and with third party proxies to do their bidding. History reminds us time and again that the only effective defense against the forces of darkness is strong, determined leadership – along with a strong modernized military – like US President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, "Star Wars." It not only deterred Russian aggression but brought down the Soviet Empire. This policy should remind our enemies that the US is capable of anything, anywhere, at any time. Cross us at your peril. Now if only many in Washington, DC understood history.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
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