Hey Hezbollah, think twice before messing with the startup nation - comment

For nearly a year, Israel has endured a relentless barrage of rockets, drones, and daily threats from its northern border. Thousands of families in the north have been displaced, their lives uprooted, and forced to live in uncertainty. Why? Because Hezbollah, the fundamentalist organization funded by Iran, has turned its obsession with destroying Israel into a war against innocent civilians.

Israel has no choice but to fight back. When a nation is under fire for months on end, standing idly by is simply not an option. Yet, even as the war continues, critics emerge, arguing that Israel’s heavy investments in defense and military technologies are excessive. Some say it would be better to funnel those billions into education or welfare. But now, more than ever, it’s clear that this foresight was essential.

On Tuesday, the latest developments in our alleged defense efforts became apparent. Thousands of Hezbollah operatives were wounded when their communication devices—pagers—mysteriously detonated across southern Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut. While Hezbollah initially refrained from directly accusing anyone, they eventually placed the blame squarely on Israel.

Many international news outlets suggest Israel infiltrated their communication systems and used advanced technology to trigger the explosions remotely. If these reports are correct, this is yet another demonstration of Israel’s ingenuity in the face of terror—a sophisticated, surgical response to aggression.

Hezbollah may boast powerful weapons and deep pockets from Tehran, but let’s not forget: We are still that David from biblical times, who used a mere sling to outsmart the mighty Goliath. Israel might be small in size, but we are swift, innovative and adaptable. We have transformed into the Startup Nation, renowned for our technological prowess and ability to turn challenges into opportunities.

To those watching from afar, do not be fooled: Israel is not the aggressor. It is fundamentalist extremism that has brought this war upon us. No country would tolerate what we have endured. There is no government on Earth that would allow missiles to rain down on its cities, drones to hover over its homes, and terrorists to plot against its citizens without responding.

The days of David

Our strength lies not just in our military power but in our ingenuity—our capacity to think outside the box. Even in the times of David, Israel was known for cleverness and strategy. As it says in the book of Samuel: “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty’” (1 Samuel 17:45).

And just like David, we don’t miss our targets—though these days, we’ve swapped slingshots for pagers (according to foreign reports).