The circumstances of riots in Jerusalem vary – riots on the Temple Mount, or Jerusalem Day, or entry into the Old City from an inconvenient gate – but what cannot be ignored is the fact that the conditions surrounding Israel have worsened since US President Joe Biden took office. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority sense a tolerant international atmosphere, which explains the rocket fire on Jerusalem and Israel's south.
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Now, the Israeli public is eager to see what the IDF can do. Some commentators include the political situation among the conditions provoking the aggressor. Hamas may be calculating that Israel will be unable to launch a major offensive in response to the renewal of massive fire against its citizens. The expected retaliation is one that will shock Gaza's terror organizations: targeted killings without strategic calculations regarding who should be spared; who can be killed and who can't. However, the elimination of top commanders is not enough, and the IDF should abandon the failed concept of containment. The public is asking whether we can do in Gaza half of what, according to reports, we're capable of in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon – perhaps even in Iran.
The sight of agricultural fields destroyed by arson terrorism is unacceptable, as is the sight of citizens in Jerusalem running for shelter. Usually, Israel does not choose when to launch a war. A surprise operation, as swift as possible, can restore Israel's deterrence. The question of the appropriate character of a military operation in Gaza has long been overlooked in the public discourse. We had more important issues to consider – political and constitutional ones. The public and the politicians have forgotten that there are also enemies waiting for our hand to falter. What is needed is a broad operation that will harm as many terrorists as possible and destroy military infrastructure and weapons.
Over the past two years, particularly during the pandemic crisis, the Israeli public has tended to forget that forming on our southern doorstep is a miniature North Korea. Hopefully, we won't postpone the necessary action with the excuse that the timing is wrong or that the attack caught us by surprise. IDF commander Aviv Kochavi declared, when taking his oath of office over two-and-a-half years ago, that the IDF will become a lethal army aspiring for victory. A response couched in sign language will do major harm to Israel's image and to the IDF's deterrence factor.
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