By: The Editorial Board – wsj.com – September 29, 2024

By killing Hassan Nasrallah, Prime Minister Netanyahu weakens Hezbollah and Iran.

Israel has exhibited remarkable restraint for nearly a year in response to Hezbollah’s thousands of rocket and missile attacks that have made the country’s north uninhabitable. That restraint ended this month, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out it would in the U.S. as well if a terror proxy based in Mexico were firing rockets at El Paso.

Israel has changed its strategy from tit-for-tat responses to a pre-emptive campaign to degrade Hezbollah’s missile stores, launchers and military leadership. These are all justified targets in war. It’s tragic when civilians are also killed, but that is more Hezbollah’s fault. Nasrallah, who knew he was a marked man, located his hideout under residential buildings.

Israel’s campaign has been a remarkable display of intelligence, technological skill, and above all political will. The sabotage of Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies wounded or killed scores of fighters. Its targeted bombings against Hezbollah’s terror masters showed how much Israeli intelligence has penetrated its communications. It continued to bomb Hezbollah targets on Sunday, including military commanders.

Israel has done this despite the contrary advice of its allies in the U.S. and Europe. “West left powerless as Israel claims its biggest victory yet against Hezbollah,” declared the BBC in a news alert on Saturday. Isn’t Israel part of the West? It eliminated a terrorist whose killers are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans and Europeans.

Israel’s government notably ignored the call by President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and others for a 21-day cease-fire. Israel would have loved a cease-fire that allowed its 60,000 displaced citizens to return to their homes in the north. But Hezbollah had no such intentions.

The U.S.-French statement mentioned Lebanon and Israel. Yet Lebanon has no functioning government to speak of, certainly not one that could give orders to Nasrallah. The statement didn’t mention Hezbollah or its minders in Tehran. Israel isn’t obliged to follow the dictates of Western politicians and pundits who counsel de-escalation from the safety of Bethesda.

Mr. Biden had the good political sense Saturday to call Nasrallah’s death a “measure of justice.” But he couldn’t resist another plea for his failing diplomacy, through the United Nations of all antisemitic places, to negotiate a cease-fire. A cease-fire is far more likely with Hezbollah and Iran on defense than it was before this month.

No victory is permanent in the Middle East, and Iran’s proxy network will strike back. The Houthis fired a missile at Israel from Yemen on Saturday. But by degrading Iran’s front-line proxy in Lebanon, Israel has substantially weakened its enemies. Instead of begging for restraint, the U.S. could capitalize on Israel’s gains by taking out Houthi sites and leaders after their next attack on U.S. ships.

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged revenge. But that is what he also said after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July. Iran’s April missile assault against Israel failed with American help. Perhaps the Ayatollah fears what Israel could do in response. He can’t feel personally secure, even in Tehran, after Israel’s demonstration of military and intelligence prowess in the last month.

Hanging over all of this is Iran’s nuclear program. A regime armed with nuclear missiles would change the deterrence calculus of Israel and the West. This is all the more reason to prevent Iran from gaining the bomb, including with a pre-emptive military strike against its nuclear facilities if necessary.

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Israel’s experience in the last year is a reminder to the West about the cost of failed deterrence and what is required to restore it. Israel let down its guard against Hamas a year ago and paid a terrible price. It seems determined not to repeat that mistake with Hezbollah.

Mr. Biden has undermined the U.S. ability to deter adversaries because he fears any escalation, ceding the advantage to Iran, Russia and China. Israel can’t afford such indulgence. Its survival is at stake.

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Source: Israel’s Deterrence Lesson for Biden – WSJ