Since Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles toward Israel on the night of April 13-14, Benjamin Netanyahu has been surprisingly silent. A four-word statement issued early on Sunday and an insubstantial exchange with conscripts on Tuesday were his only public utterances. Such restraint is unusual for a prime minister who, for two decades, has relentlessly posed as a bulwark against the Iranian threat.
Netanyahu called another meeting of the war cabinet on Wednesday to discuss a possible response. But he let two of his rivals in this divided cabinet, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and General Benny Gantz, speak for him. Both warned that a response is inevitable, in unison with Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi. Several options are being discussed in the press, as Israelis await the respite of the Passover holidays on April 22. Israel could strike at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard installation in Syria, or risk a more symbolic attack on a military site in Iran.
A cyber operation is also possible against the Iranian electricity and energy network, at the risk of revealing Israeli technological capabilities. A resumption of targeted assassinations of military officials in Tehran is sait to be the least immediate option.
Netanyahu's relative discretion is likely disappointing his ultranationalist allies, even though they remain preoccupied with the war in the Palestinian territories. Polls indicate that a majority of Israelis would welcome a retaliation, provided it did not harm the country's security alliances.
Among those warning against an unreasonable response, former prime minister Ehud Olmert fears that the Iranian attack has provided Netanyahu with "an excuse" to divert attention from the Gaza quagmire and prolong the war on another front. "Netanyahu needs to stretch events, to throw his failure of October 7 back into the past as far as possible, to lessen its impact on hearts and minds" in order to stay in power, said Olmert.
Washington and the Gulf States are themselves worried about such a temptation. However, during the Iranian attack on April 13, Netanyahu appeared as a restrained figure in the face of the military. According to numerous press leaks, it was two generals, both from the political center, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who as early as Saturday evening called for an immediate retaliation. This was rejected by Netanyahu, notably under American pressure.
Uzi Arad, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu said, "It's not surprising that the military is saddened by the weaknesses of our deterrence and is proposing to take advantage of the fact that our planes are already in the air and benefiting from the element of surprise to take immediate offensive action (...) It's also natural for Netanyahu to act politically and weigh a delayed response and diplomatic options."
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