(Israel Hayom) Meir Ben Shabbat - On May 26, 2000, during victory celebrations following the IDF's withdrawal from Lebanon, Hizbullah's leader Hassan Nasrallah declared: "Israel...is actually weaker than a spider's web....Israeli society is war-weary and lacks the resilience to endure a bloody conflict or suffer casualties. Israel may appear strong from the outside, but it's easily destroyed and defeated." However, the events of recent weeks are forcing Israel's adversaries, and others, to reassess their fundamental assumptions. They're confronted with Israel's unexpected stamina in a prolonged, multi-front war and its willingness to take bold, calculated risks. They failed to grasp the profound impact of Oct. 7 and the seismic shift it triggered in Israeli thinking and behavior. Israel's sustained military actions clearly demonstrate its determination to effect fundamental change. Nasrallah joins the long list of terrorist leaders who bought into the flawed "spider web" theory. Their demise stands as a testament to its failure. The writer, a former Israeli national security advisor, is chairman of the Misgav Institute for National Security & Zionist Strategy in Jerusalem.
2024-10-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive