Israel's war against Iran is a gamble - and to pay off it can't afford to miss
But the same principle applies to Israel's decision to attack Iran. Its war is a gamble - to pay off, it must be entirely successful. It cannot afford to miss.
That may seem a strange thing to say as things stand. seems to be hitting its targets with devastating accuracy.
Live updates: Trump says Iran 'want to talk'
Take the stunning campaign of decapitation: Israeli intelligence correspondent Ronen Bergman reports that Israel has developed the ability to monitor 's top officials "in real time".
That fearsome power is being wielded with awesome effect. Iran's military and intelligence commanders are being traced and eliminated one by one - 20 of them in the first night alone.
The destruction of Iran's air defences is also on the mark. It has left Iran's skies open to Israeli jets to destroy target after target with pinpoint accuracy.
The mission is to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, but also it seems the regime's means of repression and control.
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To be absolutely sure of success, Israel needs the regime to fall. It must destroy both Iran's ability to develop the bomb, but more importantly, its will to do so.
Fail on either front, and Iran's leaders will prioritise building a nuclear weapon. They will have to, so they can defend themselves better next time.
Their ability to build the bomb will be impossible to destroy completely, however massive the munitions Israel puts into the centrifuge halls of Natanz and Fordow.
The Iranian nuclear programme is too far developed. They have the knowledge and expertise. For as many nuclear scientists Israel kills, there are their students to replace them.
And the technology is in their favour. As one western source told the Israeli Haaretz newspaper over the weekend: "They have knowledge about the plant centrifuges.
"They don't need as many centrifuges as they used to. They can build a small plant somewhere, heavily fortified underground, maybe even in less than three years."
At some point, the Israelis will need to end their campaign. The Iranians' desire to build the bomb will then be redoubled among what's left of their regime.
The capacity to do so will have been degraded, but the know-how will remain. Toppling the regime will be the surest way of achieving Israel's aims if it ushers in a replacement not determined to go nuclear.
Israel knows that and has been going after people and places essential to the regime's apparatus of internal control and repression.
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It has been attacking energy infrastructure, too, knowing soaring energy prices may fuel social unrest and dissent.
Expect those efforts to bring down the ayatollahs to intensify - Israel has come for the king and cannot afford to miss.
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USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
Our tax dollars fund Israel's genocide in Gaza. Every American should care.
'It's all very complicated, and I'm not an expert, but I'm not sure any country can help to the capacity it should and could.' For nearly two years, the world has watched the decades-old conflict between Israel and Palestine evolve into an increasingly brutal war. Hamas-led militants killed more than 1,200 people – mostly civilians – on Oct. 7, 2023, and took 251 hostage – including Americans. Today, 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, though Israel believes only 20 of them are alive. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting erupted, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. More than 145,000 have been wounded and 90% of the population has been displaced. Half of those killed and injured are women and children, the ministry says. Those who've managed to live through the war are facing new threats to their survival: Starvation has swept through Gaza, with half a million people affected by famine-like conditions, according to the World Food Program. Polluted aquifers and broken pipelines leave safe drinking water scarce. Since May, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food. On July 28, two Israeli human rights groups released statements saying the country was committing genocide in Gaza, echoing declarations previously made by Amnesty International and a United Nations special committee. On Aug. 8, Israel approved a plan for the Israel Defense Forces to take control of Gaza City. Twenty-two months ago, that October day lit aflame deeply rooted hostilities, igniting new tensions in neighboring countries and across oceans: On college campuses, in public streets and on social media platforms. It's a war that has divided families, friends and even the Republican and Democratic parties. USA TODAY columnists and contributors have covered this issue from many sides – including inside and outside of Gaza itself. But we hadn't heard from you, until now. We wanted to know your opinions. For our next installment of Forum, we asked: Are you concerned about the developing situation in Gaza? Should the U.S. send more aid to Gaza? To Israel? Is the news media's coverage getting it right or wrong? What could finally end this conflict? Here's what you said. I've seen Israelis and Palestinians coexist. It's the only thing that gives me hope. I want to be clear that I am pro-peace. I lived in Israel for many years, and I saw coexistence every single day. I lived it. It might be the only reason I have any hope left. On any public bus, you might see a soldier standing next to a woman in a hijab next to a Hasidic man next to a guy with a mohawk next to a Druze family. And thousands of Israelis have been protesting the government for years, before Oct. 7, 2023. The difference is that they have the freedom to do so without fear or repercussion. Gazans do not have that same luxury. Openly protesting Hamas means death or worse. And yet many of them have, because they have nothing more to lose. Which is why it's disgusting and sad that news coverage has been minuscule, and people in the West, most of them the descendants of colonizers themselves, feel the need to call Hamas "resistance fighters" and advocate for the destruction of a country they can't even find on a map. What about the hostages, who are also starving? What about how Hamas has weaponized starvation and does not care for its people? What about how Hamas has looted aid and funneled donations to line the pockets of their own leaders? The United States should do more to help dismantle Hamas, in addition to criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and actively trying to end this war. The United States should focus on supporting peace-building coalitions, accountability and support for Israel's population (which includes Israeli Arabs, who make up about 20% of the population) – but also help the Palestinians in finding a path forward without Hamas or Islamic jihad or similar leadership. There is not enough focus on the day after the war, especially when it comes to dismantling Hamas, reeducation and supporting efforts to pivot Netanyahu's right-wing government, which is adding fuel to the fire. The United States should do more to combat antisemitism, which has skyrocketed here and globally. Antisemitism has risen globally by 340% since the start of this war, and it's no coincidence. We need help combating false narratives that restrict empathy. This is a national concern as well as a global one that does not help either Israelis or Palestinians, or Jews across the world. I think there should be a Palestinian state at some point, but it should not be created as a knee-jerk reaction to this terrible war. If anything, this should give everyone pause. It will take years of peace-building coalitions and mapping out a sustainable plan to actually make this work. I'm a father in Gaza. My children wake in the middle of the night crying for food. | Opinion Another view: Western nations want a Palestinian state. But Arab nations keep their distance. | Opinion Celebrities are nothing but armchair activists who are also responsible for spreading misinformation and false narratives. They add fuel to the fire, and their commentary actually leads to violence and sows division. There is blatant skewing of the narrative, including reporting Hamas figures as facts when many of the numbers of the dead include combatants. Everyone blames Israel and seems to cast Hamas in the light of "resistance" and "freedom fighters" even when they are the ones responsible for the violence, sexual assault, torture and kidnapping that have defined this war. Why has no one reported on the protests in Gaza against Hamas, which killed and tortured Gaza civilians for protesting? Why has no one focused on the plight of the remaining hostages who are also starving? Why has no one highlighted where Hamas leaders have been – safe in Qatar and other countries? — Elle Brooke, West Bloomfield, Michigan Our tax dollars are funding a genocide. Every American should care about that. The United States is aiding Israel in committing genocide. Through the U.S. support, Israel is starving hundreds of thousands of families. America has criticized organizations doing real work and feeding people. It has instead supported an organization, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose 'distribution sites' saw the slaughtering of Palestinian families with the aid of mercenaries and the genocidal Israel Defense Forces. Cracking down on public criticism of Israel and support of Gaza under the false guise of addressing antisemitism has made a mockery of actual antisemitism. President Donald Trump is using it as a false way to challenge universities and shut down free speech in the name of addressing antisemitism, but truthfully, he is just engaging in fascism. The United States must recognize a Palestinian state – and with recognition there needs to be an end to the occupation, the right to return and justice for the people of Palestine and the thousands of Palestinians harmed, killed and starved. Every person should care about genocide. Everyone – celebrity, politician and everyday person – should care about genocide. Every one of us must speak up and take action immediately. Because, as U.S. taxpayers, our dollars go to supporting Israel, we should get a say in how those dollars are used. — Ella Mendonsa, Washington, DC I feel for innocent Palestinians. But as a Jew, I know we can't have a two-state solution. It's all very complicated, and I'm not an expert, but if you have Hamas intentionally preventing aid from getting to the population in order to prolong their own lies, I'm not sure any country can help to the capacity that it should and could. I'm not a Trump supporter at all, but at least he has taken steps to show that, as a democracy, we support democracy. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that is a democracy. So I think the Trump administration's support of Israel is refreshing compared with prior ones. What can anyone do when Iranian-backed, Hamas-linked organizations fill the news with grotesque lies and omissions of the truth? This is not about the innocent Palestinians, many of whom are afraid of Hamas. This is about Hamas using its own population for propaganda. Don't get me wrong. I care and feel for the Palestinians suffering. But as a Jew, I have to care about the fact that the entire raison d'être and mantra of Hamas is to kill all Jews and destroy the land of Israel. There is no longer a chance for a two-state solution. Israel has tried over and over to offer paths to this and to show that we can live peacefully with Arabs and Palestinians. We cannot offer this in the face of a Hamas-led government that specifically and openly states that its members would like to see Israel wiped off the map. How could Israel trust them when they savagely killed people who lived near the border and who were reaching out across the border and helping Palestinians? It's fair to say innocent people are suffering, but the news media is biased toward the Palestinian plight as opposed to showing that Israel has tried numerous times to make peace, only to have its own people suffer. Would you tear down a barrier in your backyard if you knew your neighbors would do anything to break in to your house and try to kill you? Honestly. Israel has never gone to war with any country out of hatred for human beings or religion. It's always on the defensive, and in the end, it's always blamed. But let's not forget that the Jewish people have endured thousands of years of antisemitism from every corner of the earth, and we're still standing. — Deena Thomas, Memphis, Tennessee We've given billions to fund this war. It's time Trump leverages it for peace. We give billions in military aid to Israel every year, some of which was used for good purposes against Iran, but also at least some of which was used to cause this starvation crisis. It seems like the least we could do would be to help save the lives of civilians there. The Biden administration launched the first national strategy to combat antisemitism. But now Trump is just using antisemitism as an excuse to go after his political enemies on issues like immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion. I know that many people on both sides complain about the media attention, but the fact is that billions of American taxpayer dollars are involved here, so it's fully legitimate for the media to be focusing on this. The two-state solution is the least impossible of all the impossible options to end this conflict. And we could be doing much more to support the Israelis, especially the hostage families, protesting against Netanyahu's disastrous policies. Just a week ago, an organization of retired Israeli generals called for an end to the war. We should applaud France and Saudi Arabia for seeking to advance the two-state solution and for persuading the entire Arab League to condemn Hamas as it did last week. — Matthew Weinstein, Baltimore
Time Magazine
36 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
What Countries Recognize Palestinian Statehood?
Amid mounting international pressure on Israel to end its war in Gaza, there is growing diplomatic momentum in the West to recognize Palestinian statehood, with Australia becoming the latest to announce plans to do so. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday that the country will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly next month. Albanese said during a press conference Monday that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week about needing 'a political solution, not a military one' to the war in Gaza. Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said she spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the announcement. 'Australia will recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, to contribute to international momentum towards a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages,' Albanese said in a statement. 'The Netanyahu Government is extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution by rapidly expanding illegal settlements, threatening annexation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and explicitly opposing any Palestinian state.' The move comes as Israel has again amped up its offensive in Gaza over the course of its nearly two-year long war, while the Israeli government is considering a 'complete conquest' of Gaza. Humanitarian organizations have warned about the humanitarian crisis and famine unfolding in Gaza, as well as the targeting and killing of journalists, while Netanyahu has claimed media bias and denied that Palestinians are starving. Here's what to know. Which countries have recognized a Palestinian state? Nearly 150 of 193 U.N. member states recognize Palestinian statehood, including most countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. But currently, only a fraction of Western countries do—mostly former members of the Soviet Union—although momentum appears to be growing. In July, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Malta announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the September U.N. meeting. New Zealand also said on Monday that it would 'carefully weigh up its position over the next month on recognition of a state of Palestine.' Portugal, too, said in July that it is considering recognizing Palestinian statehood. They join Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Spain, and Norway, as well as four others around the world, which recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024. What does it mean to recognize Palestinian statehood? By international law, a sovereign state should have a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the ability to conduct international relations. Whether or not a country is formally recognized by other states is not a requirement of sovereign statehood, but it shapes how countries interact with each other. With much of the world already recognizing Palestinian statehood, the shift among Western countries is widely seen as an attempt to pressure Israel towards a cease-fire. Some Western countries made a similar move a decade ago after the Israeli government annexed territory in the West Bank. Sweden in 2014 officially recognized Palestinian statehood, while U.K. lawmakers voted in favor of doing the same, although the British government did not formally recognize Palestinian statehood at the time. Much of the West has long supported a 'two-state' solution, in which a Palestinian state would exist in most or all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem, alongside the state of Israel. Although largely seen as symbolic, the shift in recognition has been accompanied by growing censure of the Israeli government, such as Germany's suspension of Gaza-linked weapons exports to Israel last week and a majority of Senate Democrats voting to stop arms sales to Israel at the end of July. But elevating a Palestinian state to a full member, rather than a Permanent Observer, as it currently is, at the U.N. would require getting the U.S. on board. As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the U.S. has the power to veto resolutions that could change Palestine's membership status, which it has done in the past. How have Israel, the U.S., and others reacted? Israel has condemned Western countries like France, Canada, and the U.K. for their decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, arguing that it 'rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.' The Israeli government opposes Palestinian sovereignty and a two-state solution. Netanyahu called Australia's decision 'shameful' and said 'it's not going to change our position.' 'I think we're actually applying force judiciously, and they know it. They know what they would do if right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney you had this horrific attacks. I think you would do it, at least what we're doing, probably maybe not as efficiently and as precisely as we're doing it,' Netanyahu told reporters Sunday. The war in Gaza was ignited by Hamas' terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Since then, more than 60,000 Palestinians and nearly 2,000 Israelis have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry and Israeli forces, respectively. (In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the Gaza Health Ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.) Hamas had released 140 living hostages, as of the start of July. The Israeli government believes around 20 living hostages remain in Gaza, as well as the bodies of around 30 others. Hamas reportedly offered to release all hostages in exchange for the full withdrawal of Israel's military from Gaza and an end to the war, which a Hamas senior official said Israel rejected. 'By recognising a Palestinian state now, Australia elevates the position of Hamas,' Israel's envoy to Australia Amir Maimon said in a statement posted to X. Netanyahu earlier this year said that the leaders of France, Canada, and the U.K. were 'emboldening Hamas' after they had signed a joint letter calling for a cease-fire and two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state. The U.S., Israel's biggest ally, has also rejected the recent announcements. Rubio earlier called France's decision to recognize Palestinian statehood 'reckless' and said it 'only serves Hamas propaganda,' while President Donald Trump said French President Emmanuel Macron's statement 'doesn't carry weight.' Within Australia, the country's move has been met with both welcome and disapproval. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry called the move a 'betrayal' and that the Australian government has 'committed to recognising as a State an entity with no agreed borders, no single government in effective control of its territory, and no demonstrated capacity to live in peace with its neighbours.' Meanwhile Liberal-National Coalition defense spokesperson Angus Taylor said the decision was 'premature' and 'rewarding Hamas.' Labor Friends of Palestine, a rank-and-file group of the Australian Labor Party, said the move 'delivers on policy long supported by Labor members who will strongly welcome this move.' Australia Palestine Advocacy Network President Nasser Mashni said the announcement was 'meaningless' and a 'political fig leaf' while Australia continues to trade and have diplomatic relations with Israel. Albanese said in the press conference that the move is not only symbolic. 'This is not Australia acting alone,' he said. 'This is a practical contribution towards building momentum.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Australia to recognize Palestinian state at United Nations in September
SYDNEY, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Australia will recognize a Palestinian state at next month's United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, a move that adds to international pressure on Israel after similar announcements from France, Britain and Canada. "Australia will recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in September, to contribute to international momentum towards a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages," Albanese said in a statement. Albanese told reporters in Canberra that recognition would be predicated on commitments Australia received from the Palestinian Authority, including that Islamist militant group Hamas would have no involvement in any future state. "A two-state solution is humanity's best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza," Albanese said at a press conference. More: Israeli airstrike kills Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza Albanese said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and told him a political solution was needed and not a military one. Australia last week criticised Israel's plan to take military control of Gaza, and Albanese said the decision to recognise a Palestinian state was "further compelled" by Netanyahu's disregard of the international community's calls and failure to comply with legal and ethical obligations in Gaza. "The Netanyahu Government is extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution by rapidly expanding illegal settlements, threatening annexation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and explicitly opposing any Palestinian state," Albanese said in the joint statement with Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Commitments by the Palestinian Authority to reform governance, demilitarise and hold general elections, as well as Arab League demands for Hamas to end its rule in Gaza, created an opportunity, he said. "This is an opportunity to isolate Hamas," he added. Wong said she had informed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of Australia's decision. U.S. President Donald Trump last month criticised Canada's decision to back Palestinian statehood and Rubio has said the decision by France was reckless. Israel's Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, criticised Australia's decision on social media platform X as undermining Israel's security and derailing hostage negotiations. More: Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City Last month, Albanese would not publicly commit to a timeframe for recognition, and has previously been wary of divided public opinion in Australia over Gaza. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched across Sydney's Harbour Bridge this month calling for aid deliveries in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsened. Albanese said on Monday "massive concern" over the devastation in Gaza came not just from international leaders but community members. Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans said it was "absolutely timely" for Australia to move on recognition. More: French plan to recognize Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US "Australia joining the group of credible voices from the global North, acting now in coordinated harmony with Israel's Arab neighbours, will help pile new pressure on Netanyahu to change the ever more indefensibly destructive - and self-destructive for Israel - course on which he seems set," he said in comments to Reuters. Australian National University international law professor Donald Rothwell said recognising a Palestinian state means Australia can provide aid support without having to go through the U.N. and other agencies, contribute to rebuilding Gaza and enter into legally binding treaties. The Palestinian Authority's state minister for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, said in an Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview it was a long-awaited decision that "gives Palestinians a sense of hope for the future", although a ceasefire remains the priority. More: U.K. says it will recognize Palestinian state if Israel doesn't allow more aid to Gaza New Zealand said it would consider its position on recognition of a Palestinian state this month. Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters stormed Israeli towns near the border, killing some 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 60,000 people in Gaza, health officials there say, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins. Malnutrition is widespread in the enclave due to what international aid agencies say is a deliberate plan by Israel to restrict aid. Israel rejects that allegation, blaming Hamas for the hunger among Palestinians and saying a lot of aid has been distributed. (Reporting by Christine Chen and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Stephen Coates, Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry)
