Jerusalem:
All eyes are on Israel after Iran launched an unprecedented attack, but its war cabinet has shown no preference for a follow-up, while allies who helped thwart the attack have called for caution.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was less vocal than usual, has yet to specify how, how or when he would respond to Iran’s first direct attack on Israeli territory.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday in response to an April 1 attack on the Islamic Republic’s consulate in Damascus, an attack largely blamed on Israel.
Faced with allies urging caution and some domestic politicians demanding tough responses, Netanyahu has met with the war cabinet twice and called U.S. President Joe Biden.
But he has not spoken publicly about it since Sunday, when he published a brief article on X praising Israel’s defense.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Hertz Halevi told soldiers on Monday that Iranian attacks would “be met with a response” but did not specify the timing or type.
“There has been a lot of pressure on the Israeli government over the past 48 hours to respond because this is an unprecedented attack,” Raz Zimut, an Iran researcher at Tel Aviv University, told AFP.
“I’m not sure the Israeli government can avoid some kind of immediate response, even if it doesn’t want a full-scale confrontation,” he added.
Zimt said he would like to see “some clandestine activities by Israel without Iran taking responsibility.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gweir said a strong response was needed to the night of Iran’s launch.
“The defense so far has been impressive and now a devastating attack must be launched,” the far-right minister said on X.
– No need to rush’ –
In contrast, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak condemned the hawkish behavior and condemned “those who want to set the entire Middle East on fire”.
Others, such as parliament member Gideon Saar, called for patience.
“Israel does not need to react hastily or undermine the priorities it has set for itself,” Sa’ar told the X program.
“Now the focus needs to return to victory in Gaza: the overthrow of Hamas and the release of the hostages.”
Israel, worried about being isolated by the war in Gaza, has praised and promoted its cooperation with the United States, Britain and France and intercepted Iranian attacks with the support of regional actors such as Jordan.
Without their support, its air defense systems, including Iron Dome, would likely be overwhelmed by Iranian fire.
But Western governments, especially those supporting Israel’s defense, have warned against escalation.
A U.S. official said on Sunday that Washington would “not be involved” in any potential Israeli counterattack.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron also warned against retaliation.
Even Iran said it considered the matter “over” unless Israel chose to make “another mistake” and its response would be “much harsher.”
-“hidden” response-
Karev Bendor, a former analyst at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, concluded: “It would be useful to maintain this defense alliance… It is almost unprecedented and therefore favors restraint.”
“At the same time, in the Middle East, one cannot be attacked by more than 300 missiles and drones and not take any action,” said Bendor, who is now deputy editor of Fathom magazine.
“I don’t think anything will happen for the next…two weeks or so. But I think Israel will fight back at some stage, probably at a time and place of its choosing in a clandestine way rather than in an overt way,” he said .
Jean-Loup Samaan, an analyst at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said the alliance’s help limited Israel’s room for maneuver because it owed it to the United States to some extent.
“In my view, a positive response to the Iranians is unlikely, and this is not a decision that Netanyahu can make without consulting the Biden administration,” he told AFP.
“Israel’s system is largely funded by Americans, so I don’t think they’re going to game and be ungrateful,” he added.
A diplomat from a country participating in the alliance told AFP they were “satisfied” that the “hawkish line” did not prevail over the weekend.
Regarding Netanyahu’s lack of public response, former Israeli diplomat Jeremy Issacharov told AFP that “the less said, the better”.
“I think the Iranians should be worried and should be kept in the dark as much as possible and no one needs to provide them with any guarantees,” he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
