By @leibowitzadak
Looking at Israeli public opinion, I finally understand why Netanyahu spent a year and a half trying to force a war on Iran in the midst of the genocide in Gaza. Israelis feel great right now. Israel is all about its ego, the world-renowned hi-tech fighting force.
October 7 was a massive blow to that self-image. Israelis were disheartened, not because they had a realistic fear of a repeat attack, but because they no longer felt invincible. So Israel engaged in the wholesale destruction of Gaza to try to recover that feeling of strength.
It didn’t work because people realize Gaza is not a serious military threat. Israel got a brief power kick from its bluster about cutting off food and water, but people quickly realized that torturing thousands of innocent Palestinians and starving millions is just cruelty, not strength.
Next, Israel launched its war against Lebanon, committing one of the largest terrorist attacks in history through the beeper operation. This gave it some good headlines for a week, but the war fizzled. Israel has already fought so many wars on those fronts that it didn’t register.
Iran, though, is the golden prize for Israel. A large, powerful country, which Israel has never engaged in a full-blown war, and where the destruction will make international headlines.
Israelis now, even as they’re frightened and hiding in bomb shelters, are euphoric for the show of strength. The news is full of detail after detail about the tactics, the boldness, the strength. Comparatively little is about the strategy, the goals, or even the supposed nuclear threat. What matters is that Israel is “showing the world” what it can do to enemies.
