If Hezbollah had succeeded in its attacks on the outskirts of Tel Aviv or other parts of central Israel, Israel might have had to launch a major retaliatory attack against Lebanon. After all, Hezbollah Lebanon.
Israel had total control over the country and would have been justified in declaring war on it, as well as destroying its infrastructure, which has both military and civilian uses. (Related article: Morgan Murphy: Democrats: Party of War)
by Preemptive Strike Hezbollah rocket launcher, Israel Defense Forces It has thwarted most of Hezbollah's attacks, preventing them from reaching their targets in central Israel, and while this may not bring peace, it could forestall the kind of regional war that Hamas so desperately wants.
Israel has used preemptive strikes as a military tactic throughout its history, most dramatically in 1967 The Egyptian and Syrian air forces shot down the plane while it was still on the ground. Prime Minister Menachem Begin Preemptively destroyed Iraq's Nuclear Program and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Preemptively destroyed Syria's nuclear program. Not only were these actions militarily and legally justified, they also saved many lives and helped prevent a broader war.
The difficult question now is whether Israel should launch a preemptive strike against an imminent nuclear Iran. Such an attack would be far more difficult than any to date, would involve considerable risks, but would also entail great potential benefits.
Iran, which has nuclear weapons, provides a nuclear umbrella under which Deadly Surrogate Mother Iranian groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis could operate with greater impunity, and Iranian leaders have vowed to use nuclear weapons to destroy Israel, even if it means millions of Iranians die in an Israeli counterattack.
When Prime Minister Begin ordered the preemptive destruction of Iraq's nuclear reactor, he made it clear that Israel did not have an adequate deterrent since the IDF would never bomb Baghdad with nuclear weapons. Destroying the reactor before it was completed with minimal civilian casualties was the only realistic option.
This easy option is currently unavailable to Iran because it has buried much of its nuclear program under civilian sites such as hospitals, schools, mosques, etc. Iran has used Hamas' human shield tactics but on a large scale to protect its nuclear program.
So the costs and benefits of a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear arsenal are greater than any other action to date. This is similar to the decision Britain and France had to make in the mid-1930s when Germany began to rebuild its ferocious military. Joseph Goebbels said: I wrote in my diary Of that determination, or lack thereof, he states: “We succeeded in keeping the enemy in the dark as to the real German objectives… They led us away from the danger zone.”
Nazi Propaganda Added“It was exactly the same in foreign policy… In 1933 the French Prime Minister should have said (and I would have said if I were the French Prime Minister): 'The new Reich Chancellor is the man who wrote Mein Kampf, which says this and that. This man cannot be tolerated in our vicinity. Either he disappears or we march on!'”
But Goebbels concluded: “They didn't do that. They left us alone, slipping us through dangerous waters, and we could sail around all the dangerous reefs. And when we had finished our mission and were better armed than they were, they started the war!”
A preemptive attack by Britain and France against Germany in the mid-1930s would have been criticized as being too aggressive, but it would have saved millions of lives. The same could probably be said of a preemptive attack that would have destroyed Iran before it had a chance to develop a nuclear weapon.
If Iran were to directly attack Israel again, as it did in April, it could give Israel the opportunity to launch a reactive and preemptive strike, which is perhaps why Iran is delaying its promised attack.
A decision not to attack Iran's nuclear program could have catastrophic consequences, as could a decision to attack. These are perilous times and a critical moment that calls for wise leadership.
Alan DershowitzThe latest issue ofThe War on the Jews: How to End Hamas BrutalityStein is a former Speaker of the New York City Council. This column is reprinted from the Alan Dershowitz Newsletter. here.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
