Israel plans ‘painful revenge’ but wants US backing
IDF drawing up response as war cabinet agrees not to pursue all-out conflict despite hardline pressure
‘Something has to be done – something that hurts the Iranians, but not too badly’
ISRAEL is planning a “painful” strike on Iran that does not cause casualties, according to leaks from the prime minister’s war cabinet.
Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly asked the Israel Defense Forces to draw up a list of targets Israel could choose to hit that the US would not object to.
A carefully calibrated response to Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Sunday could come in the form of a precision strike on a facility in Tehran, or a cyber attack, the Washington Post reported, citing an Israeli official familiar with the sensitive discussions. “everybody agrees that Israel must respond,” the official said. “How to respond, when to respond, is the question.”
Israel’s Channel 12 news claimed the war cabinet had agreed to strike back at Iran “clearly and forcefully” and that several options had been discussed that would be “painful” but unlikely to trigger a regional war.
The war cabinet is also aiming to find a way to retaliate against Iran that won’t be blocked by the US, the broadcaster reported, after Joe Biden told Mr Netanyahu that Washington would not support an Israeli counter-attack.
Yesterday Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, told his US counterpart that Israel has no choice but to respond to Iran’s attack, which was thwarted with help from the United States and Britain.
Mr Netanyahu has still not publicly commented on the plan for retaliation, and the war cabinet is due to reconvene this morning. Late on Sunday hardliners in the cabinet said Israel must go “berserk” on Iran, and should not waste time with its retaliation for Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel.
“Ideas of containment and moderation are the perceptions that ended on Oct 7,” Itamar Ben-gvir, the national security minister and leader of the most popular Right-wing party, said in a statement late on Sunday.
“To create a deterrent in the Middle East, Israel has got to show that it is prepared to go berserk.”
Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister and a close ally of Mr Ben-gvir, said he and supporters would “use their full influence” to make sure Israel retaliates.
Israel’s hard-right weighed in after Benny Gantz and Yoav Gallat, some of the most influential ministers with close ties to the US administration, made it clear they intend to listen to Washington and refrain from decisions that could lead to escalation.
Mr Netanyahu has not yet made any comment on a possible response or any public statement except for a short tweet on Sunday in which he lauded the work of Israel’s air defence.
On Sunday night, the cabinet’s secretary relayed the Israeli prime minister’s request not to give interviews or speak about the Iranian crisis.
Israel’s success in fighting off the attack was lauded, with the daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth calling Sunday “the first good night [in Israel] after Oct 7” in reference to the Hamas massacre.
Newspapers also underscored the need to retaliate against Iran to demonstrate deterrence, but also urged the government not to squander the opportunity to build on a rare show of unity by Israel’s neighbours, like Jordan, who came to its defence.
“Something has to be done – something that hurts the Iranians, but not too badly,” Yedioth Ahronoth said in an editorial yesterday.
“The American veto is sharp and clear: they have no desire to enter into a broad-scale war with Iran at present, and they have good reason to suspect that the Israeli government wants to draw them into one.”