OP-ED -- At 8:30 AM eastern US Time on Sunday, Israel's War Cabinet will convene a meeting in an Army Bunker, not its regular meeting place at the Prime Minister's Office.
The meeting will discuss an Israeli "response" to yesterday's Iran Response, to the April 1st attack by Israel upon the Iran Embassy Compound in Damascus, Syria.
U.S. (Illegitimate) President Joe Biden has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "The United States will **NOT** participate in any Israeli attack upon Iran."
According to several sources inside Israel, after being told that, Netanyahu "vetoed" a response plan previously approved by the War Cabinet.
As such, this morning's meeting will likely be very frustrating for the Israelis since they apparently can't get the United States to fight Iran for them.
Yesterday's launch of Drones, Cruise Missiles, and Ballistic missiles by Iran, marked the first time in history that Iran directly attacked Israel. It's never happened before.
This event has changed the Middle East, in many ways, forever.
First, the "awe" of Israeli military power, has been dimmed by Iran. While US, UK, and Israeli planes were able to down ALL drones launched by Iran, and Israel's "David's Sling" and "Arrow" missile defenses were able to down ALL cruise missiles fired by Iran, at least seven (7) Iranian BALLISTIC missiles, got thru and struck Israel.
Were the drones a distraction? Bait?
Looking back, it seems that's exactly what they were. By launching the drones, and announcing they had done so while those drones still needed another 57 minutes to arrive to targets, Iran baited the entire region to see who would do what. They found out, quite clearly.
While Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon all closed their air space, Jordan went much farther. Jordan used its own missile defenses to shoot down drones, and then Jordan opened its air space to allow Israeli, US and UK fighter jets into Jordan, to shoot down Iranian Drones and missiles. So Jordan took sides with Israel against Iran. That's a big deal. A game-changer for relations in the Middle East.
Interestingly, the use of Drones by Iran also provided other real-life intelligence info. The Drones all got shot down. The cruise missiles all got shot down. The Ballistic missiles ***MOSTLY*** got shot down, but seven of them got through!
As a result, Iran now knows how many drones can be successfully engaged by all the countries in the region, acting collectively. Thus, Iran knows how many additional drones must be fired to overcome those defenses.
In addition, Iran now also knows it was the US and UK -- NOT ISRAEL --whose fighter jets shot down most of the drones. So without US and UK support, Israel is quite vulnerable . . . much more vulnerable than Israel would have anyone else know.
Similarly, Iran cruise missiles ALL got shot down, so Iran knows it must fire "x" more such missiles to have any hope at all of any getting through.
The ballistic missiles, however, were the big intelligence prize for Iran. Out of the missiles fired, seven got through. Seven!
Now, Iran knows the precise number of ballistic missiles it must fire to saturate Israeli defenses, thereby getting FAR more through those defenses if any future battle is necessary.
Seeing seven ballistic missiles get through was a gigantic intelligence prize for Iran. It also seriously dimmed the "awe" of Israeli military capabilities. The Israelis are not "untouchable" as they previously had everyone believe.
Another way last night's attack changed the Middle East forever was the reality that someone *would* attack Israel directly. The whole "they wouldn't dare" crowd is likely laying on the floor, in a fetal position, quivering this morning that someone DID dare.
Another group of people, the "nothing is gonna happen" crowd, also got to eat crow last night. The "it's a nothingburger" crowd found out their perceptions - for years - were wrong!
A truly amazing thing to see, though, were thousands of Israelis running and screaming with fear in the streets, as explosions in the sky rocked Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. As I watched video of those Israelis, panicking, screaming in fear, and running en masse through the streets, I couldn't help but think to myself "Run you fucks. You're finally getting a taste of your own medicine. What YOU have done to people throughout the Middle East, is now happening to YOU. How does it feel?"
THAT is a biggie from this event. The reality was brought home to Israelis. The reality that what their government has been casting into the wind, can - and did - come home to roost.
Don't like what happened last night? Then STOP doing it to other countries.
This morning, we already know the US will not participate in any Israeli "response" to Iran. We also know the Israeli government, in its arrogance, simply cannot restrain itself from "hitting back." The trouble with these Israeli government people is that they refuse to acknowledge they started it by bombing the Iran Embassy compound in Syria. They justify what they did by claiming there was a meeting of high ranking military people . . . . or there was a meeting of people who had something to dow tih October 7, or . . . . (insert any other excuse here.) What they refuse to acknowledge is: None of that matters.
Embassies are off limits. They cannot be attacked. Ever. For any reason.
Israel crossed that line. The reasons they did so, DON'T MATTER. They still crossed the line.
For that, they got hit back.
If the Israeli government is smart, they will say to Iran "We hit you, you hit us back, it's over now" and move on in peace.
Iran has already offered that. They have publicly announced they consider the matter closed.
Israel should leave it closed.
I suspect they won't.
Their ego and a seemingly psychopathic desire to conquer, appears to drive them. After all, their attack upon the Iran Embassy was never about "a meeting of men who planned to attack, or participated in October 7." Their attack against that Embassy was designed to CAUSE the very counter-attack they have now been hit with. They wanted to be directly attacked because that gives Israel an excuse to go into Iran and hit the Iranian nuclear program.
THAT is what this whole thing is all about: the Iran nuclear program.
If Iran becomes a nuclear-armed power, Israel will not be able to brow-beat them anymore. That is the "intolerable act." If Iran becomes a nuclear-armed power, then Israel cannot DOMINATE them.
For people whose egos are bent on power and domination of others, the reality of NOT being able to dominate is like a drug addict withdrawing from drug-use. They would rather die than not have that.
Israel may get their wish.
UPDATE 10:35 AM EDT --
Israel's Channel 12 TV News is reporting that Israel would immediately retaliate, and a senior Israeli military official pledged an unprecedented response to the Iranian attack.
