The Wall Street Journal's editorial board has published an opinion piece praising Israel's recent military action against Hezbollah. The op-ed titled "Israel Stymies Hezbollah's Attack" argued that the "IDF's success in preempting a larger attack and the terrorists' failed response limited the escalation."
The op-ed began with an ancient Jewish proverb – "If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first." The board argues that Israel had "no choice but to heed this counsel" in its recent engagement with Hezbollah, contrasting this success with the tragic events of October 7.
According to the op-ed, Hezbollah has fired "more than 6,700 missiles and drones" into Israel since joining Hamas's assault on October 8. The editorial board details how Israeli and US intelligence detected preparations for a major Hezbollah attack on Saturday, including potential strikes on "intelligence bases near Tel Aviv."
The WSJ describes Israel's response: "Around 4:45 am, preempting the attack Hezbollah now admits was scheduled for 5:15 am, some 100 Israeli jets destroyed hundreds of rockets and launchers in southern Lebanon." In the aftermath, the editorial notes that Hezbollah fired "210 rockets and 20 drones, most of which were intercepted or hit open space in Israel."
The board notes Hezbollah's typical rhetoric, reporting that the group "called its salvo a great success." However, they contrast this claim with the actual impact, stating, "One Israeli woman was lightly wounded by rocket shrapnel, and one Israeli sailor was killed by shrapnel from an interceptor." The writers make light of the impact of this retaliation, stating that "Hezbollah's best direct hit seems to have been on an Israeli chicken coop." To further emphasize the limited effect of Hezbollah's attack, the board points out, "The blue-chip Tel Aviv 35 stock index rose 2% for the day," implying that the financial markets remained largely unperturbed by the incident.
The opinion piece takes aim at what it calls the "knee-jerk response from the global left" to condemn Israel for "escalation." Instead, the editorial argues that "in greatly reducing the damage from Hezbollah's attack, the Israeli strike limited the escalation" and "Israel has the right to defeat Hezbollah, not merely defend itself."
Notably, the op-ed calls Iran "the dog that didn't bark" and points out its absence from direct involvement, suggesting that Tehran "shrank from joining directly" due to the "surge of US forces to the region."
The editorial concludes by addressing the ongoing Gaza negotiations, noting that Hezbollah's attack comes "on a key weekend" for these talks. The board poses a critical question about US policy: "Will President Biden, fearing escalation, now add to the pressure on Israel to make dangerous ceasefire concessions?" They conclude by saying that Hamas and Hezbollah should "contemplate their military failures" and "be making the concessions."
