Shalom from Israel! Saturday night was very tense. There were rumors that Iran was actually going to do something they had never done before. They were going to attack Israel from their own soil. In the past they always had their little proxy terrorist minions do their dirty work. Why get Persian hands bloody when there are plenty of Arab to do the job? But this time, they felt that to keep their honor, the world needed to seem them step up and act. All the rumors indicated that it was going to be an air attack, and it was going to be massive.
The Attack
Then it launched. Dozens and dozens of explosive drones began their slow trip toward Israel. It’s an 8-hour flight for a drone to cross the airspace between Iran and my country. As we in Israel awaited their arrival, it was like watching war in slow motion.
But then the situation escalated. Drones were launched from proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, countries closer to Israel. Those were followed by cruise missiles. In all, 185 suicide drones and 36 cruise missiles filled the air. The Israeli Air Force set to work, sending fighter jets to destroy these flying explosives before they reached our borders. But we weren’t alone. The United States, the UK, and France joined us in plucking them out of the sky.
Then came Phase Three of the attack. The drones and cruise missiles were not the end game. Their role was to deplete Israel’s air defense system prior to the primary attack – 110 ballistic missiles. As I mentioned earlier, it takes a drone eight hours to fly from Iran to Israel. A cruise missile’s flight is two hours. But a ballistic missile can traverse the gap in 12 minutes. I have to give the ayatollahs credit – it was a good plan. It just wasn’t good enough. In the end, 99% of the missiles and drones were intercepted. Those that managed to make it through caused a little bit of damage to an airfield and critically injured an innocent child.
The Historic and the Miraculous
History was made in the early morning hours of April 14. But more significantly, God clearly showed Himself.
It was historic in that Iran had never attacked Israel before from its own borders. As I mentioned earlier, they always had their proxies do their dirty work. This was the first time in the nearly 76 years of Israel’s existence and the decades of the Islamist regime in Iran that the ayatollahs put their own fingers on the trigger and pulled.
It was historic in that never before had an aerial attack of this type and this size been carried out. Again, there were 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles, and 110 ballistic missiles launched in a coordinated assault with the intention to cause major damage and loss of life. Some may balk, saying, “Yeah, but only one child got hurt. Israel really needs to temper its response.” Let me ask you this – picture a mass shooter loading himself up with multiple guns and 200 rounds of ammunition. He then goes to a crowded event and opens fire. Several people are struck and wounded, before he is tackled by bystanders and subdued. Do we say, “Relax, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like he actually killed anyone.” Or, do we say, “Thank the Lord that this man’s plan to massacre all those people was thwarted. Let’s put him away so that he can never do it again.” Iran’s intention was to kill many Israelis, and it is by that intention that they should be judged and punished.
It was historic in that not only did Israel receive help from the US, the UK, and France, but Saudi Arabia and Jordan also participated in shooting down anything that entered their airspace. Help, though, from our Sunni friends had begun prior to that night. The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and the UAE funneled classified intelligence through the US to Israel that helped spoil Iran’s plan. It’s truly remarkable to see the ever-growing effects of the Abraham Accords, mediated by the previous US administration.
It was miraculous in that this level of success never should have happened. Mordecai Avitbul, a Doctor of Physics who works for Israeli security, said, “When I look at what happened on Saturday night on a scientific level, it simply cannot happen.” He explained that to have such a high percentage of weapons destroyed would take every element of the process – human, electronic, mechanical – working just perfectly. He went on to say, “The likelihood that everything works out just as it should does not exist in complex systems like the defense systems that were operating…. Even if we got 90% protection, it would be a miracle…. If this is not an act of God, then I no longer know what a miracle is.” If you feel he may be a biased observer, let me assure you that he is not the only one who sees the miraculous in this event. A close friend of mine in the US who is involved in military security related to missiles and weapons of that sort has assured me that it is impossible to logically look at what took place that night and not see the hand of God. It just doesn’t happen.
If it seems like I am taking a victory lap, let me assure you that I am not. Intercepting hundreds of warheads and stopping a disastrous attack isn’t a victory. It’s just success. Victory is never achieved by defensive actions. The enemy will just fall back, regroup, find ways to improve, and try again. Attacking and defeating the enemy is the only path to true victory. That is why Israel must now go on the offensive.
The Response
No sooner were the engines cool on the jet fighters than the US and Western Europe began to warn Israel against a strong response. As I mentioned above, their logic went something like, “Yeah, Iran was wrong for doing that, but nobody really got hurt, right? Let’s just forget it and move on.” Really? Let’s imagine an enemy fires 110 ballistic missiles at the White House or Buckingham Palace or the Élysée Palace. Just because your air defenses shoot the weapons out of the sky, are you then going to say, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is your warning, guys. Better not do it again”?
Israel is going to respond, and it will do so with force. Iran crossed a line and now they have brought the fight to their own soil. It may be a blow to their nuclear program, causing destruction to their production facilities. Their infrastructure may be targeted, taking out dams or electrical stations. The response could be directed at their economy, destroying oil production. Considering the Iranian currency hit an all-time 700,000 rials to the US dollar following the failed attack, this could be particularly damaging.
Whatever it will be, it is likely the ayatollahs will have to wait and wonder. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi indicated that a response was unlikely to occur until after Passover ends on April 30. This would enable a homefront policy that would provide for a much-needed, almost-normal Passover week for the people of Israel. It will also give the leaders of the Islamist regime time to sweat. Already they are pulling back workers and reducing the presence of IRGC senior officers from Syria. I understand the strategic benefits of waiting and moving in a time of our own choosing. However, I still think that a forceful attack that same night would have been more effective. The psychological impact of their failure being compounded by a devastating strike by Israel could have gone a long way towards demoralizing and quieting the violent religious radicals who are running the country. In a perfect world with the current U.S. administration’s pressure, an attack would have already been carried out.
There is one more twist to this story. A rumor has surfaced today of a deal that may be taking shape. If Israel does not attack Iran, the U.S. will 1) impose severe sanctions on Iran, 2) approve the actions on Rafah in the south and Hezbollah in the north, and 3) transfer the financial aid approved for Israel. Should this be true, it is almost as if Iran has unwittingly fixed all of the U.S.–Israel problems on the regional disputes. I see what the US and Israel are doing here; however, I’m not okay with any of this. This does not sound like Middle East language. It has much more of an American feel. When you leave an attack such as this unanswered in the Middle East, it emboldens the other side to feel like they’ve deterred you. I believe that Israel must do something militarily. Ideally, to the three points above, I would add a fourth that would allow Israel to hit back at Iran. Even if it is something minor, it would at least show that any strike they give will not go unanswered. Then, if Iran were to retaliate, we could come back on them forcefully giving us a win either way.
I do know one thing for sure, that however Israel responds and whatever the resulting escalation might entail, both Iran and Israel will survive this conflict. My confidence does not come from the military or infrastructure or allied relationships. My assurance is rooted in the Bible, where Ezekiel 38 tells me that when Russia comes against Israel it will not be alone. Among those joining Russia will be Persia, or Iran. Thus, Iran must be around to attack, while Israel must still exist so that it can be attacked. There is such clarity when people know their Bibles.
The Rest of the War
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In the south, the IDF is intensifying its readiness for a major assault on Rafah. Prior to the attack, all the civilians in the area are being encouraged to leave immediately. Any who refuse the order will likely get moving once the bombs start dropping. As always, the IDF will do all it can to minimize civilian casualties, despite Hamas’s policy of using their own people as human shields.
Daily strikes are taking place against Hezbollah in Lebanon. On Tuesday, a targeted attack in the city of Ain Ebel took out Ismail Youssef Baz, commander of the coastal sector of Hezbollah. That same day, another airstrike in Al-Shahabiyeh killed Muhammad al-Shahouri, commander of the Rockets and Missiles Unit of the Radwan Forces’ Western Region. No Hezbollah leader is safe as long as they are targeting Israel.
In a heartbreaking story, Nova survivor, 19-year-old Guy Ben Shimon, told a State Audit Commission on the treatment of survivors of the October 7 massacre at the dance festival that “there have been almost 50 suicides among the Nova survivors. This number, which was true two months ago, may have increased since.” The victims of Hamas’s holocaust continue to increase even to today.
As evil as Hamas is, they are not without friends. A recent article in The Times revealed that Iran has given at least $222 million to the terrorist organization. This isn’t a surprise. However, the article revealed the money pipeline which passed from Iran to Beirut to the Hamas Politburo to Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Knowing this trail allows the possibility of freezing the Hamas accounts. Turkish President Erdogan gave Hamas some legitimacy, saying, “There is no difference between the Turkish national forces in the (Turkish) War of Independence and the Hamas movement now.” So, what I hear you saying is that Turkey’s freedom fighters also kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered innocent civilians? Are you sure Hamas is who you want to link your country’s history to, Mr. Erdogan?
