‘Most Dangerous Week Of War’: Israel Firm On Strong Response To Iran Attack, Rebuffs US Calls For De-Escalation – News18

With tensions escalating in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is insisting on a strong response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack, as experts have dubbed the ongoing conflict the “most dangerous week of the war,” in which the world could see Tel Aviv possibly target Tehran’s nuclear sites.

The Israeli government is determined to respond decisively to threats posed by Iran and its proxy groups after Tehran launched nearly 200 missiles and caused damage to dozens of locations across Israel. Amid the heightened tensions, the United States is vouching for a measured and proportional response, urging Israel to exercise restraint even as the situation intensifies.

‘What would be a proportionate response?’

Rebuffing US President Joe Biden’s request for a “proportionate” response, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel must “attack Iran’s nuclear program, and cripple the regime’s main economic interests.” “All of these would be only a fraction of what Iran did to Israel,” Bennett wrote in a post on X.

“If we don’t take out the nuclear program now, I don’t know we’ll ever do it. The mullah regime has acquired SQ10, which means enough high grade uranium to produce 10(!!) nuclear bombs. The regime is racing towards producing the detonator device itself, while the world can no longer really track this. In other words, we might wake up to a test bomb exploding in Iran’s desert. At that moment the Middle East will become a nuclear nightmare,” he added.

‘Missiles could have killed thousands’

In a lengthy post, the former PM lamented how Iran directly shot ballistic missiles at Israel, including city centers such as Tel Aviv. He also recalled how, in April, Iran lobbed roughly 350 projectiles toward Israel. “Without Israel’s remarkable technology, these missiles could have killed thousands of innocent people,” he said.

“For Israel to murder, rape and burn thousands of innocent Iranians? We don’t do that. For Israel to shoot 10,000 rockets indiscriminately on Iranian cities? We don’t do that either. Therefore, Israel can do MUCH LESS than what Iran’s regime did to us,” he added.

‘We are fighting for our lives’

Adding to what Bennett said, former Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy underlined that Israel is under attack on seven fronts, with Iran attempting to expand those fronts. “We are seeking a Red Sea port from Sudan… Algeria is itching to join… destabilising Jordan… Turkey is now calling for a coalition of Islamic armies to rise up… Wake up. We are fighting for our lives,” said Levy.

Writing for an Israeli news outlet, American-Israeli author Joel C. Rosenberg expressed similar sentiments and praised how Israel in recent weeks has assassinated 18 of its top senior commanders, including Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years. Rosenberg argued that Israel’s response in Lebanon has been “brilliant, creative, cunning, and miraculous,” but not enough. He believes that “this is no time to slow down but to finish the job.”

“Israel should vanquish and eradicate Hezbollah’s terror threat and offensive missile capabilities once and for all, while the organization is shell-shocked and disoriented. At the same time, Israel should use Iran’s massive missile attack on Tuesday to decapitate the Iranian regime,” the American-Israel author wrote in an opinion piece for allIsraelnews.

As reports emerged that Iran’s military has been placed on the highest level of alert, Rosenberg, in a post on X, said the Jewish country is “heading into the most dangerous week of the war.” “A massive war with Iran is looming. Only the Lord knows how this is going to play out. But one thing is clear: Israel cannot let Iran get The Bomb,” he added.