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The Fighting Isn't Over, but Israel Has Already Won
(Jewish Chronicle-UK) Dr. Dan Shueftan - In the regional arena, Israel has already won the war that started on Oct. 7, 2023. While the fighting is not over yet, the balance of power in the Middle East has shifted dramatically in favor of the Jewish state and its de-facto Arab allies. The radicals have never been more humiliated, isolated, vulnerable and intimidated, while the moderate Arab regimes are surreptitiously grateful for the Israeli resolve in fighting their common enemies. Since Oct. 7, Israel has devastated in Gaza the only Arab state-like entity controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood. The IDF also reduced Hizbullah from an intimidating strategic threat to a major nuisance, fighting a rearguard battle for its position in Beirut and southern Lebanon. And Israel's Air Force exposed the supreme vulnerability of Iran's most-defended sites. In Cairo, Amman, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Rabat, Arab leaders know that sustainable Israeli resilience, strategic power, determination and tenacity in the struggle against common radical enemies are indispensable for their own regional welfare, sometimes even their existence. Whereas America is immeasurably more powerful, Israel, in their experience, is an infinitely more trustworthy and dependable partner. The Middle East has taken a major turn for the better in the last year and a half. Israel is exhausted, but much safer, and even the Americans are somewhat more realistic. A lot depends on containing Iran, but the chances to avoid a catastrophe are better than they have been in a long time and everybody recognizes Israel's indispensable contribution. The writer is head of the International Graduate Program in National Security Studies at Haifa University.