The Takeaway: Israel fears Iran strike could ignite war with Hezbollah
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Hot take: Fallout from New York Times article reveals division, unity on Iran
The New York Times reported this week that "Israel lacks the ability to pull off an assault that could destroy, or even significantly delay, Iran’s nuclear program" and that it could take "at least two years" to develop the capability to do so. The fallout from the article revealed internal divisions over whether Israeli has the military capacity to strike, but also unity on the need to employ military force if necessary to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.
Background: Israel considers Iran an existential peril, especially if it gets a nuclear weapon. That’s why Israel has been unwavering in its demands that the United States, most recently the Biden administration, maintain all means of pressure — including sanctions and the credible threat of force — to prevent Iran from acquiring one. Israel has never supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which relieved economic pressures on Iran in exchange for scaling back its nuclear ambitions. Israel never thought it would work and prefers to see the talks in Vienna among the United States and the parties to the JCPOA fall apart. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said this month that he had ordered preparations for a possible military strike on Iran. That’s why the New York Times piece, citing current and former security officials, was so surprising in its conclusion that Israel might not be able to carry out the military campaign it has so long threatened.
The fallout: Ben Caspit has the scoop and more on the fallout in Israel from the Times piece and what it reveals:
