At the now-famous summit held on Saturday by Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United States, and Iran, an Israeli delegate made a chilling statement: ” in case the Ayatollah decides to go forward with what he has said, we are prepared to enter into Iran with our troops.” Additionally, the Saudi king threw the possibility of a “preemptive strike,” onto the floor of discussion.
The last time “preemptive strike,” was a buzzword in the Middle Eastern news was in 1967, when the Israeli military launched a preemptive strike against its Arab neighbors. That military exercise is now known as the Six Day War. In the twenty-first century, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are more powerful than ever, so it stands to reason that the Iranians should be quaking in their boots if Israel is planning a military invasion.
The Israeli ministers who spoke to reporters on Saturday seemed to feel like they were in a struggle of good and evil. The Israeli Minister of Infrastructure likened his country’s situation to that of Simba, the character from Disney’s The Lion King. The Minister went on to say that they would be teaming up with Timon (the United States) and Pumba (Saudi Arabia) in order to exact revenge on Scar (Iran). For readers who haven’t seen that particular children’s classic, the minister means to say that Israel will unite with its allies to ensure that it’s geopolitical rival is defeated.
Israel seems to want to employ violence as only a last resort, one Israeli Minister told reporters that, “we have exhausted all the diplomatic solutions,” however, the Israelis also seem ready and willing to engage in military action that they deem necessary. One minister stated that, “We will not tolerate any more threats from them (Iran), and they should know that we are prepared to face them head on”
While Israel did not claim to be planning a preemptive strike, they did say that the Israeli troops in Saudi Arabia were, “preparing for anything necessary.” It appears that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops may see action soon. The cabinet also told reporters that “we will fight back,” showing that the Israelis will certainly retaliate to any Iranian aggression.
Israel also affirmed that in the event of a major Israeli city being destroyed by a nuclear attack, “a nuclear response may be appropriate.” When asked if they anticipated the Iranians to make the first move, one minister said, “We hope that they will not, but if they do, we are militarily prepared for it.”
As the hours tick by, both Iran and Israel are facing the reality that conflict will likely emerge. The unknown factor is the extent of that conflict. In the coming hours and days, we will find out if noted poet T.S. Eliot was correct in his prediction that the world will end, “not with a bang, but with a whimper.” Let’s all hope that Eliot is right.
