As of 7:30 AM eastern US Time Monday, the Israeli War Cabinet is meeting again to discuss a potential Israeli response to the Iran retaliation.
On April 1, Israel sent F-35 stealth aircraft to fire missiles into Syria, to hit the Iran Embassy Compound. While those missiles did not hit the Iran Embassy itself, they demolished a second building on the same compound, which happened to be the Ambassador's residence.
Apparently, Israel is trying to draw a distinction between the two buildings, claiming one has Diplomatic protection while the other did not. It's a specious argument because both buildings are on the same compound, and the entire compound is Iran sovereign territory.
But the Israelis want to obfuscate that fact to justify what they did. No rational person accepts the Israeli obfuscation.
When that Embassy compound was attacked by Israel, it gave Iran a Casus Belli - cause for war.
Iran then exercised its right under the United Nations Charter, Article 51, to hit back in self defense.
On April 13, Iran hit Israel with missiles and drones.
Most of the attack was intercepted by Israeli, US, UK, and Jordanian defenses, but some few missiles DID get through to targets inside Israel.
This has incensed the Israelis who seem to think that no one has any right to hit them back for anything.
As such, Israel is now contemplating attacking Iran under the pretense of retaliation for Iran's attack.
Now, most stable, mature, rational people, look at the situation in simple terms: Israel hit Iran. Iran hit Israel back. Now, it's over.
But Israel does not seem to be stable, mature, or rational.
So the Israeli War Cabinet is meeting once again today, to decide if Israel will strike Iran.
If they choose to do that, Iran has publicly stated they will respond yet again, only this time, their strike "will be dozens of times stronger."
In fact, just minutes ago, Tehran sent an important and unprecedented warning message to Israel via Cairo; the content of the message concerns the Iranian response to any new Israeli adventure – according to Iranian diplomatic sources.
Nonetheless, I can also report that, at the outset of today's meeting, the Israeli Army Chief of Staff presented response options to the Iranian attack to political leaders.
Will the War Cabinet be stable, mature, and rational? Or will they be arrogant, egotistical, and reckless? Only time will tell.
UPDATE 8:30 AM EDT --
The Israeli War Cabinet is considering an attack on an Iranian facility that would send a message, but would avoid causing casualties, according to an Israeli official.
UPDATE 10:35 AM EDT --
"In order to establish deterrence in the Middle East, you must show them that you've gone berserk and completely lost it."
Israel must 'go beserk', says one war cabinet minister.
That meeting has now adjourned for the time being. May reconvene later.
Given the quote above, I find myself wondering "Do they make this shit up as they go along?" Who, in their right mind, makes a decision about sovereign military action, based on some irrational, personal observation, like the one shown above?
Nothing about this is rational! It's like that country is being run by psychopaths! Basing decisions on imaginary societal situations???? This is madness!
