By destroying Gaza, Israel is forfeiting its moral right to security

Israel’s nuclear arsenal protects it from any large-scale attack. But given Israel’s actions in Gaza, would such an attack be justified?

Palestinians look for survivors following an Israeli airstrike (Image: AP/Mohammed Dahman)

The world felt a bit of a heave in October 1973, when Egypt and Syria crossed into the Israeli-held Sinai and Golan Heights, and the Yom Kippur war began. Israel was taken by surprise, despite ample warnings of an impending attack. The Egyptians’ and Syrians’ stated aim was to recover the territory Israel had gained and held in the 1967 Six-Day War. But who knew? Would Israel be partially or entirely overrun? What then?

The Arab leaders had said a lot of things about Zionism being the target, not Jews (after earlier careers in which Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat and others were public and noxious anti-Semites). But who can control an occupying army? Though there was much bluff and bravado among the pro-Palestinian left of the time, there was an intake of breath too.