Hezbollah rocket attack: Israel’s urgent call for decisive action in North - opinion

Israelis woke up early on Sunday morning to fear and uncertainty as Hezbollah launched a massive rocket attack at Israel. Israel used 100 Air Force planes in a preemptive strike to neutralize a much greater attack. 

But this is too little, too late, and is not achieving what is necessary to allow 80,000 evacuated Israelis to return to their homes up North. In the face of escalating threats and prolonged uncertainty, Israel stands at a critical juncture. With Israelis from the North displaced from their homes for almost a year, the urgency to neutralize Hezbollah and dismantle the Iranian threat cannot be overstated.

The ongoing Iranian-backed menace, exemplified by the horrific attacks of October 7, has left many Israelis living in perpetual fear. The international community’s promises and interventions have proven unreliable at best. At the moment, Israelis are living with the realization that Iran and Iranian proxies can attack the Jewish state with tremendous force at any moment.

The situation is compounded by the failure of international mechanisms designed to protect Israel. UN Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, was intended to ensure that Hezbollah would not be allowed near Israel’s border and to prevent the smuggling of rockets. However, the international community and UNIFIL failed to enforce resolution 1701, with Hezbollah positioned right on Israel’s northern border fence, continuing to amass and deploy weaponry with impunity. The international community and the United Nations’ inability or unwillingness to enforce their resolutions only underscores the futility of relying on international diplomacy to secure Israel’s safety.

The world in general – and Israel in particular – has witnessed, throughout history, the limitations and failures of international diplomacy. Such efforts have often resulted in temporary ceasefires rather than genuine resolutions, leaving Israel’s enemies free to regroup and plan their next assault. The world may feel reassured by diplomatic efforts, but these measures frequently fail to address the root causes of conflict. In fact, they often inadvertently perpetuate the cycle of violence, leaving Israelis in even more danger of a future round of violence.

In this context, some in Israel advocate for stalling any severe response, suffering the repeated attacks, displaced population, and more, in the hopes that Donald Trump will be the next US president and that then will be the time to launch a full-scale offensive against Iran and its proxies. 

While the prospect of a more favorable US administration is tempting, such a wait-and-see approach presents serious risks. The Israeli government should not delay critical military action based on uncertain political futures. The State of Israel’s right and obligation to protect its citizens from Iranian threats is too pressing. The current situation has already dragged on for nearly 11 months, and further delay is untenable for Israelis.

How will US elections affect Israel?

The outcome of the 2024 US election remains unknown. The risk of deferring decisive action to a potential Trump administration is compounded by the possibility of facing a Harris administration. Vice President Kamala Harris’s past actions and statements suggest a lukewarm stance on Israel, at best.

Her absence during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress and her enthusiastic rhetoric regarding Palestinian self-determination raise concerns about her commitment to Israel’s security, despite her boilerplate voice at the convention for “Israel’s right to self-defense.” This, coupled with Robert Kennedy Jr.’s recent critique of the Democratic Party’s increasing authoritarianism and censorship, casts further doubt on the reliability of future US support from a Democratic administration.

Given these complexities, the current Biden administration, despite its imperfections, represents a critical opportunity for Israel to act. While the administration is busy with election season, there is now a window of opportunity for Israel to undertake necessary military actions. The international legitimacy of such actions under the current administration, even with expected pushback, is preferable to the uncertain and potentially hostile stance of a Harris administration, whose potential appointees, such as Ilan Goldberg, are clearly hostile to Israel.

While Israel did respond today, the critical need for a decisive military offensive against Hezbollah and Iranian proxies, once and for all, is clear. International diplomacy has proven inadequate, and waiting for a potentially more supportive US administration introduces unacceptable risks. 

Israel must seize the opportunity to act, while the current US administration offers a semblance of support, ensuring that Israeli citizens can return to their homes and live without fear.

The writer is host of the Pulse of Israel daily video/podcast and CEO of 12Tribe Films Foundation.