In conversations with the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night following the Iranian missile attack, two Members of Knesset (MKs) from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) called on the government to take advantage of the attack in order to conduct strategic strikes against Iran.
Religious Zionist Party MK Ohad Tal, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC), said he was surprised that Iran went through with the attack despite the capabilities that Israel displayed against Hezbollah in the past two weeks and despite threats of retaliation from both Israeli and US officials.
Tal said that the attack may have been a result of internal pressure in Iran rather than an attempt to start a war. The new Iranian government was maneuvering towards a new nuclear deal and was quick to indicate on Tuesday night that the attack was a contained specific response.
According to Tal, Israel now has to take advantage of the strategic opportunities to defeat Iran once and for all, with the ultimate goal being to bring about a regime change. Israel cannot afford to bow to international pressure to cease hostilities, Tal said.
Asked how the Iranian attack will affect the conflict in Gaza, Tal said that "once you attack the head [Iran], the rest of the branches fall apart … this is what will happen in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Gaza, and many other places."
Focus on strategic goals
Yesh Atid MK Moshe Turpaz, also a member of the FADC, said that Israel made a mistake when it did not respond forcefully to the first Iranian attack in April, and its central challenge now was to take advantage of the successful defense and "full legitimacy" in order to launch a "painful" response against strategic Iranian assets, possibly including its nuclear facilities. Israel would be wise to act alongside the US in attack and not just in defense in order to both serve Iran a "critical blow" and to strengthen the anti-Iranian international alliance.
שלום חברים יקרים. מתרגש לספר שהספר (השני) שלי יצא לאור. בספר אני עוסק בשלושת החודשים הראשונים של המלחמה ובתנועה שלי במהלכם בין אוגדת עזה לדיוני הכנסת, כמו גם בניסיון להבין איך הגענו לנקודה הזו ואיך אנחנו יוצאים ממנה. שבת שלום ומוזמנים לקרוא pic.twitter.com/O2oeEdtbat
— משה (קינלי) טור-פז Moshe Turpaz (@MosheTurpaz) September 27, 2024
Turpaz stressed, however, that any actions should be viewed based on the strategic goal Israel wishes to achieve. In Lebanon, Israel's actions needed to lead to the return of the northern civilians to their homes; in Gaza, the actions needed to serve the purpose of returning the hostages in Hamas captivity; and against Iran, Israel's actions "need to be examined in the broad middle-eastern context" and need to strengthen Israel's alliances with more moderate Arab countries.
Turpaz added that this was a central theme in a book he published recently, whose title translates as "An MK on Night Shift." Turpaz said that the book deals with the back and forth during the first months of the war between his IDF reserve duty as a division operations officer and his service as a Member of the Knesset and member of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.