In deeply divided Israel, even the dramatic scene over the country's skies on Sunday could be interpreted politically.
For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's supporters, Israel's display of its defense technology against an Iranian barrage that included hundreds of drones and missiles proved that Netanyahu was right all along to warn of the threat. threat posed by Iran.
His opponents did not want to praise him but instead reserved praise for the air force.
“It's like everything in Israel in the past,” said Mazal Mualem, an Israeli political commentator for Al-Monitor, a Middle East news site, and author of a recent biography of the Israeli leader. In recent years, the story has been divided into two stories.
Ms. Mualem added: “The division and polarization in Israeli society prevent people from seeing the big picture.
Iran's attack on Sunday, in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy building this month in Damascus that killed several senior commanders in Iran's armed forces, comes at a dangerous time. dangerous for Mr. Netanyahu.
Domestically, he is an unpopular leader but many hold him responsible for his government's policy and intelligence failures that led to the deadly Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to wage war in Gaza. Abroad, he is the focus of attention international criticism about Israel's prosecution of that war, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Gazans.
How he ultimately exits this episode may depend on what happens next.
Mr. Netanyahu must now make a choice. Will he respond to Iran with a strong counterattack and potentially draw Israel and other countries into a broader war? Or will he accept an attack that seriously injured a 7-year-old girl but otherwise caused limited damage, and delay a coalition to help defend Israel in the interest of regional stability?
Israel's allies have called for restraint.
“The question is whether Israel will retaliate immediately or surprise the Iranians one way or another,” said Efraim Halevy, who served as director of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency. the 1990s.
Regardless of what happens next, Ms. Mualem, the Netanyahu biographer, said, “Bibi is still in the game,” referring to Mr. Netanyahu's nickname. “He is the central figure and it is not over yet, diplomatically or politically,” she said. “And he plays the long game.”
