Golda Meir, Israel’s prime minister during the Yom Kippur War, had a particular way with words. “If we have to have a choice between being dead and pitied, and being alive with a bad image, we’d rather be alive and have the bad image,” she said in the late Sixties.
That sentiment, expressed with characteristic dryness, is even more relevant today than it was then.
October 7, 2023, fell almost exactly 50 years since Meir’s defining conflict. After almost two years of war, both in Gaza and in the realm of public opinion, her message of five decades ago is coming to define the new Israel.
If we are to be hated, at least let us live. If we cannot be loved, then we must be feared. That, then, is the message of the 10 Israeli bombs that were dropped in the heart of Qatari power today. If you are bent on killing Jews, nowhere is safe.
Details are still emerging, but at the time of writing, Israel is optimistic that the princes of Hamas, who have enjoyed lives of luxury in Doha while their people suffer in Gaza, are sleeping with the virgins today.
According to unconfirmed reports in the Arabic press, Khaled Meshaal, Khalil Al-Hayya, Nizar Awadallah and Zaher Jabarin were all targeted.
Of these, Khaled Meshaal, the former leader of Hamas, will be recognisable to many in the West. Shortly after the atrocities of October 7, he was subjected to a grilling on Saudi television.
“How can you demand that the West and the world in general, support the Palestinian cause, when the things that Hamas perpetrated against Israeli civilians are in the headlines?” the presenter demanded.
“Is treating civilians this way part of Hamas’ ideology? Will you apologise for what was done to the Israeli civilians on 7 October?” She also wanted to know how Hamas could expect the support of the Arab nations when it had not consulted them in advance of the attacks.
Meshaal’s responses were too rambling to be dignified here. Suffice to say that beyond the posturing, he and his colleagues are unlikely to be genuinely mourned, if he has indeed been killed.
Moreover, in displaying its military supremacy with such audacity, Israel is marking itself out as an important ally against future threats from Iran, which may be down but is certainly not out.
Across the Gulf, leaders will have mixed feelings in response to this spectacular operation, however. On the one hand, an Israeli attack so close to home can only feel like an insult. On the other, the Qataris are not loved in many quarters, let alone the hated Palestinians and Hamas.
Realpolitik being what it is, however, it must be acknowledged that the tidal wave of Qatari propaganda over the last two years has deeply contaminated public opinion across the Arab world, producing a burning fury towards Israel. Gulf leaders will have limited room for manoeuvre.
In the Middle East, what leaders say publicly, what they say privately and what they really think are often three different things. In the days to come, therefore, we can expect much performative outrage across the region.
It is possible that the UAE will pull out of the Abraham Accords; its ambassador to Israel threatened to do so last week. But given that Donald Trump apparently gave the operation his blessing – writing on Truth Social two days ago, he threatened, “This is my last warning, there will not be another one” – the United States will probably prevent an Emirati wobble.
As for the rest of the international community, they have thrown the kitchen sink at the Jewish state already. What more have they got to give? Recognising a Palestinian state will have as much effect – and dignity – as Israel recognising the independence of Catalonia and the Basque Country over the heads of Madrid and Paris.
Entirely predictably, António Guterres, the head of the United Nations, has already spoken out.
“I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” he said. One wonders how he would feel if his children had been at the Nova festival. These people, honestly. They’d only be happy if Israel turned its guns on itself. Even then.
Which rather amplifies the point. This spectacular military operation represents two signs of a new era. Firstly, it shows that Israel is now fully invested in deterrence, whatever the West may think. When the jihadis are knocking at their door, the Europeans may come to their senses.
Secondly, it demonstrates a new confidence in power both in Tel Aviv and Washington DC. Under former presidents, the White House was often afraid of its own shadow, despite wielding by far the biggest military on Earth. Just look at how Joe Biden appeased Iran.
Not dissimilarly, before October 7, Benjamin Netanyahu presided over “the concept”, a security doctrine that sought to contain enemies behind doughty defences rather than eliminate the threat. Well, look how that turned out.
So much for the history. Britain and Europe may be stuck in a nexus of cowardice, confusion and complacency, but for Israel and the United States, this is a new era. It could almost be a song: If you’re powerful and you know it, take ‘em out.
Just look at how things have changed. The Qatari operation was nothing like the assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, the founder of the Hamas military wing, for example, killed by suspected Mossad agents dressed as tennis players in a Dubai hotel room in 2010.
Israel has never admitted that hit. This time, however, Netanyahu was quick to claim “full responsibility” for the attacks, which were praised by figures across the political spectrum in Israel.
This is one of the few times that the Jewish state has so clearly signed its name at the bottom of the death warrant. That tells you something about the effectiveness of Western b---h-slaps. And it tells you something about Israeli defiance.
“We have always said that in our war with the Arabs, we had a secret weapon,” said Golda Meir in 1969. “No alternative.” As Faulkner observed, the past is not even past.
Never Again? How the West Betrayed the Jews and Itself, by Jake Wallis Simons, is out on October 2 and can be ordered now
Golda Meir, Israel’s prime minister during the Yom Kippur War, had a particular way with words. “If we have to have a choice between being dead and pitied, and being alive with a bad image, we’d rather be alive and have the bad image,” she said in the late Sixties.
That sentiment, expressed with characteristic dryness, is even more relevant today than it was then.
October 7, 2023, fell almost exactly 50 years since Meir’s defining conflict. After almost two years of war, both in Gaza and in the realm of public opinion, her message of five decades ago is coming to define the new Israel.
If we are to be hated, at least let us live. If we cannot be loved, then we must be feared. That, then, is the message of the 10 Israeli bombs that were dropped in the heart of Qatari power today. If you are bent on killing Jews, nowhere is safe.
Details are still emerging, but at the time of writing, Israel is optimistic that the princes of Hamas, who have enjoyed lives of luxury in Doha while their people suffer in Gaza, are sleeping with the virgins today.
According to unconfirmed reports in the Arabic press, Khaled Meshaal, Khalil Al-Hayya, Nizar Awadallah and Zaher Jabarin were all targeted.
Of these, Khaled Meshaal, the former leader of Hamas, will be recognisable to many in the West. Shortly after the atrocities of October 7, he was subjected to a grilling on Saudi television.
“How can you demand that the West and the world in general, support the Palestinian cause, when the things that Hamas perpetrated against Israeli civilians are in the headlines?” the presenter demanded.
“Is treating civilians this way part of Hamas’ ideology? Will you apologise for what was done to the Israeli civilians on 7 October?” She also wanted to know how Hamas could expect the support of the Arab nations when it had not consulted them in advance of the attacks.
Meshaal’s responses were too rambling to be dignified here. Suffice to say that beyond the posturing, he and his colleagues are unlikely to be genuinely mourned, if he has indeed been killed.
Moreover, in displaying its military supremacy with such audacity, Israel is marking itself out as an important ally against future threats from Iran, which may be down but is certainly not out.
Across the Gulf, leaders will have mixed feelings in response to this spectacular operation, however. On the one hand, an Israeli attack so close to home can only feel like an insult. On the other, the Qataris are not loved in many quarters, let alone the hated Palestinians and Hamas.
Realpolitik being what it is, however, it must be acknowledged that the tidal wave of Qatari propaganda over the last two years has deeply contaminated public opinion across the Arab world, producing a burning fury towards Israel. Gulf leaders will have limited room for manoeuvre.
In the Middle East, what leaders say publicly, what they say privately and what they really think are often three different things. In the days to come, therefore, we can expect much performative outrage across the region.
It is possible that the UAE will pull out of the Abraham Accords; its ambassador to Israel threatened to do so last week. But given that Donald Trump apparently gave the operation his blessing – writing on Truth Social two days ago, he threatened, “This is my last warning, there will not be another one” – the United States will probably prevent an Emirati wobble.
As for the rest of the international community, they have thrown the kitchen sink at the Jewish state already. What more have they got to give? Recognising a Palestinian state will have as much effect – and dignity – as Israel recognising the independence of Catalonia and the Basque Country over the heads of Madrid and Paris.
Entirely predictably, António Guterres, the head of the United Nations, has already spoken out.
“I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” he said. One wonders how he would feel if his children had been at the Nova festival. These people, honestly. They’d only be happy if Israel turned its guns on itself. Even then.
Which rather amplifies the point. This spectacular military operation represents two signs of a new era. Firstly, it shows that Israel is now fully invested in deterrence, whatever the West may think. When the jihadis are knocking at their door, the Europeans may come to their senses.
Secondly, it demonstrates a new confidence in power both in Tel Aviv and Washington DC. Under former presidents, the White House was often afraid of its own shadow, despite wielding by far the biggest military on Earth. Just look at how Joe Biden appeased Iran.
Not dissimilarly, before October 7, Benjamin Netanyahu presided over “the concept”, a security doctrine that sought to contain enemies behind doughty defences rather than eliminate the threat. Well, look how that turned out.
So much for the history. Britain and Europe may be stuck in a nexus of cowardice, confusion and complacency, but for Israel and the United States, this is a new era. It could almost be a song: If you’re powerful and you know it, take ‘em out.
Just look at how things have changed. The Qatari operation was nothing like the assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, the founder of the Hamas military wing, for example, killed by suspected Mossad agents dressed as tennis players in a Dubai hotel room in 2010.
Israel has never admitted that hit. This time, however, Netanyahu was quick to claim “full responsibility” for the attacks, which were praised by figures across the political spectrum in Israel.
This is one of the few times that the Jewish state has so clearly signed its name at the bottom of the death warrant. That tells you something about the effectiveness of Western b---h-slaps. And it tells you something about Israeli defiance.
“We have always said that in our war with the Arabs, we had a secret weapon,” said Golda Meir in 1969. “No alternative.” As Faulkner observed, the past is not even past.
Never Again? How the West Betrayed the Jews and Itself, by Jake Wallis Simons, is out on October 2 and can be ordered now