Every night since last Friday, when Israel launched surprise military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, I’ve gone to bed at night braced for the alert that will send me and my family racing down to the shelter.
It’s the same for everyone I know. We are all targets of revenge missile attacks by the Islamic Republic, after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Operation Rising Lion to destroy what he says is an existential threat to the Jewish state.
So far the nightly barrages have killed 24 Israelis and injured hundreds more.
Yet the Israeli resolve remains firm, and Netanyahu has the overwhelming backing of the public in the war against Iran.
This, despite his long history as a divisive political figure who some blame for the security failings on October 7, 2023 when the Iranian-funded terrorists of Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis, starting the war in Gaza.
Out on the streets, I’ve found a common theme: even Israelis who don’t like Netanyahu as a politician stand by his decision to launch Operation Rising Lion.
The British would recognise this uncowed determination to see off the Iranian threat despite the nightly missile barrages – it’s called the Blitz spirit.
A poll conducted by Agam Labs researchers two days ago found that just 16 per cent of Israelis are against the attack on Iran.
It seems that even Israelis who don’t like Benjamin Netanyahu as a politician stand by his decision to launch Operation Rising Lion
A surgeon from Ra’anana, central Israel, who didn’t want to be named, explained he is standing by the prime minister but only during this time of crisis, telling me: ‘I always felt Netanyahu is a strong leader in war.
‘I still think he needs to go once this war is over, but this Iran conflict has given him some kudos and it could be the perfect platform for him to stand down on a high.’
For Netanyahu’s backers, the past few days are vindication for a leader they believe is misunderstood and underestimated by his critics. A mother-of-two from northern Israel, Mor, told me: ‘We showed Iran our capabilities and significantly weakened them. I’m only afraid because of our children – this situation affects them.
‘My opinion of Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t changed. I believe he is the best leader Israel has ever had. He is saving the country from the Iranian nuclear threat.’
Yesterday, the Israeli Defence forces continued to pound the regime’s military capabilities.
They say they have destroyed a third of its missile launchers and eliminated another of the top Iranian commanders, this time Ali Shadmani.
Netanyahu himself said he wouldn’t rule out eliminating Supreme Leader Khamenei to deal a possibly decisive blow to the regime in a targeted killing.
The world knows these are not hollow threats. Remember the operation last September when Israel wiped out vast ranks of Hezbollah – the Iran-backed terror militia in Lebanon – by detonating thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies in an intelligence operation years in the making. Over the past few days, we have learned Mossad has been operating on Iranian soil, even building and deploying its own drone base. Nothing is off limits.
It’s now reported that Iran’s seeking a diplomatic solution to end hostilities.
Israelis are so tired of war but they also want to see an end to the Iranian threat and some of them find it hard to believe it will happen at the negotiating table.
London born Josh Hantman, who lives in the coastal town of Herzliya, says he wants to see a regime change in Iran.
A building in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, goes up in flames. Bombing strikes on Israel by Iran have been launched since last Friday
A firefighter works to extinguish a destroyed bus just outside Tel Aviv
‘We have had nearly two years of war,’ he explains. ‘We have lost loved ones. We have loved ones still held hostage in Gaza. We have faced Hezbollah and the Houthis. Hamas and Shia groups in Iraq. We have fought on seven fronts at times and every front has one thing in common – Iran. That’s why Israelis understand we need to end their nuclear weapons program. And that’s why many Israelis are calling to keep going and even push for regime change.
‘My worst fear would be if this crazy Islamic Republic which happily helped massacre 600,000 Syrians actually had nuclear weapons. They need to be dealt with.’
Netanyahu has been warning the world about Iran for years but may be finally close to achieving his goal of eliminating the threat to Israel thanks to his foresight, according to his former adviser Nadav Strauchler.
He told me: ‘Netanyahu is the most patient he has been, waiting for this and planning this for so long. Even if you go back to the days after October 7, he said he was going to change the Middle East by going for the head of the snake.’
He achieved this by careful planning, says Strauchler: ‘He always told me to have two good strategies for everything, and then you execute one of them at the last moment.
‘Your opponent always moves, you have to be adaptable.’
Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for decades, and has long been known as the great survivor, but the turnaround of the past few days bodes to be his greatest triumph – both for Israel and for his career.
Chief Political Analyst Amit Segal from Israel’s channel 12 told the Mail: ‘Netanyahu has a real opportunity to reframe this war, from the single biggest failure of any prime minister in the history of Israel, to the single best military success of any prime minister of Israel.
‘He has the opportunity to seize the moment, and perhaps win the next election on who won the war.’
