You Call That a War?

ISRAEL in the perception of the Iranian leaders is the West’s front line. To attack it is to attack the United States in what they genuinely believe to be-in their words-“a fateful struggle against Western hegemony in the world.” As one among other means to that end, they effectively colonized Lebanon through Hezbollah, the militia they have been recruiting, training, and arming there over a number of years. Another means is the Iranian nuclear program, and it says a great deal about the mindset and self-confidence of Iran’s rulers that they permitted a test of strength with Israel in the crucial period before that program’s completion. It was a tremendous gamble. The Second World War started in much the same way, when the Germans staged a cross-border raid on Poland as the pretext for all-out assault. The parallel holds further: As the Germans in 1939, so the Iranians have scored what may look like success for the moment but contains the seeds of future and more extensive warfare.

Unlike Poland confronting the Germans, everything appeared to be in Israel’s favor. The G-8 summit in July was supportive. President Bush provided Israel with the political scope and the time necessary to crush Hezbollah. Tony Blair concurred, and even the appeasement-minded Europeans for once allowed that Israel had the right to defend itself. The country was united and determined. The Peace Now crowd evaporated. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis were displaced, but there were no scenes of panic at the airport. Reservists duly mobilized and fought as previous generations had done. A high proportion of those killed were officers and senior non-commissioned officers.

About the Author

David Pryce-Jones

David Pryce-Jones (1936–2025) was a British author and commentator and served as a senior editor of National Review.

Featured Tags

ISRAEL in the perception of the Iranian leaders is the West’s front line. To attack it is to attack the United States in what they genuinely believe to be-in their words-“a fateful struggle against Western hegemony in the world.” As one among other means to that end, they effectively colonized Lebanon through Hezbollah, the militia they have been recruiting, training, and arming there over a number of years. Another means is the Iranian nuclear program, and it says a great deal about the mindset and self-confidence of Iran’s rulers that they permitted a test of strength with Israel in the crucial period before that program’s completion. It was a tremendous gamble. The Second World War started in much the same way, when the Germans staged a cross-border raid on Poland as the pretext for all-out assault. The parallel holds further: As the Germans in 1939, so the Iranians have scored what may look like success for the moment but contains the seeds of future and more extensive warfare.

Unlike Poland confronting the Germans, everything appeared to be in Israel’s favor. The G-8 summit in July was supportive. President Bush provided Israel with the political scope and the time necessary to crush Hezbollah. Tony Blair concurred, and even the appeasement-minded Europeans for once allowed that Israel had the right to defend itself. The country was united and determined. The Peace Now crowd evaporated. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis were displaced, but there were no scenes of panic at the airport. Reservists duly mobilized and fought as previous generations had done. A high proportion of those killed were officers and senior non-commissioned officers.