Now that the IDF has exposed Hezbollah's precision missile program, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah must decide whether to drag his organization and Lebanon into war, or fold on the matter for the time being and lower the flames.
Speculation abounds as to whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order to brief rival Benny Gantz on current security issues is a sign that the Jewish state is preparing for a major conflict on one or more fronts.
Tensions between the Jewish state and the Islamic republic are rising at a particularly fraught time: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to project strength ahead of the Sept. 17 elections, while Iran has taken a series of provocative steps aimed at pressuring European nations to provide relief from crippling US sanctions.
As drone strikes become more frequent, the risk of unwanted escalation becomes greater.
In his desire to respond to the drone attack attributed to Israel, the Hezbollah leader revealed that his operatives are stationed on the Syrian Golan Heights. His confession granted Israel, which had pointed the finger at the Iranian Quds Force, an unexpected PR win. Paradoxically, Trump's possible meeting with Iran's president could calm the situation.
Community president Moise Kahloun reported “many problems” in the heavily Jewish Sarcelles district, including “anti-Semitism and fear,” which has made it a different city than it had been in the past 40 years and has caused residents to leave for Israel.
While the Hezbollah leader is wont to issue empty threats against Israel, past experience teaches us that an overnight attack on Lebanon on Saturday attributed to the IDF will not go unanswered.
Tensions are running high in the Gaza Strip and in Judea and Samaria, and the slightest incident could cause things to spiral out of control. If Hamas, despite signals to the contrary, is fanning the flames, it will give Israel little choice but to mount a forceful response.
While criticism is being leveled at the Israeli ambassador to Washington and the US ambassador to Jerusalem over Israel’s entry ban on pro-BDS Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the envoys are targets because of the trust they have with their nation’s leaders. It is precisely those relationships that make them so effective.
Israel's political system is clearly influenced by the security situation in the region. Every transitional government to attempt to make military moves in recent decades has paid for their actions with the loss of power.
