Arab and Islamic countries and organizations welcomed a historic resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, which calls on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories from 1967 within 12 months. They described the resolution as historic and demanded its tangible implementation.

This came in official statements issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, alongside Palestinian approval and Israeli rejection.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution drafted by the Palestinian Authority, which demands Israel end its “illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories” within 12 months. The ministry described the resolution as a pivotal and historic moment for the Palestinian cause and international law. It also thanked the member states that supported, sponsored, and voted for the resolution, which was adopted by a majority of 124 votes, with 43 countries abstaining, and 14 opposing it.

The ministry further clarified that the positive vote of more than two-thirds of UN members represents a global consensus that the occupation must end, its practices and crimes must cease, and it must withdraw its forces, including settlers.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) also welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the resolution calling on Israel to end its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, Hamas considered this vote an expression of genuine international support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state. It added that this resolution reflects international alignment with the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence.

Hamas described the decision as an important victory for the Palestinian people and a reaffirmation of Israel’s growing isolation. The movement also expressed appreciation to the countries that voted in favor of the resolution and urged them to take further measures to isolate Israel and pressure it to stop the war.

The Kingdom emphasized the need for practical and credible steps to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.

The UAE also welcomed, in a statement from its UN mission, the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution, affirming that the International Court of Justice’s ruling is clear in stating that the Israeli occupation is illegal and must end. The UAE further urged the Security Council to translate the advisory opinion into tangible steps.

Jordan, in a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the UN resolution, emphasizing that the adoption of the resolution reflects the international community’s will and international law in supporting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. The Jordanian statement stressed the need to compel Israel to implement the resolution, including immediately halting all new settlement activities and evacuating all settlers from Palestinian land.

A Historic Decision

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in a statement, welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a historic resolution regarding the illegality of the Israeli occupation. The OIC viewed the resolution as reflecting international consensus on the justice of the Palestinian cause and its steadfast support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. The organization called on all states to assume their responsibilities and take individual and collective actions to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under international law and the relevant international resolutions.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution calling for the end of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Secretary General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi emphasized the need to end the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and affirmed the Palestinian people’s right to reclaim their lands. Al-Budaiwi stated that the actions taken by Israeli occupation forces, including settlement expansion and geographic changes, are illegal and illegitimate, with no recognition at either the regional or international level. He stressed the international community’s responsibility to ensure the implementation of the resolution.

Earlier, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UN decision, as reported by the Palestinian News Agency, asserting that the resolution’s support by two-thirds of UN General Assembly members represents international consensus on the justice of the Palestinian cause and a victory for the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state.

In contrast, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the resolution, stating that it is detached from reality and harms peace efforts.

Occupation and Expansion

Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, and has since been constructing and expanding settlements in the West Bank.

In July 2023, the Israeli government claimed it had “the right to impose its sovereignty” over the West Bank, asserting that “the Jewish people have the exclusive right to self-determination on this land.”

International law prohibits Israel from annexing any part of the West Bank, according to numerous United Nations statements over the years.

The UN vote came as Israel, with full American support, continues a devastating war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 136,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly women and children, and more than 10,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and a deadly famine.

On October 27, the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza with 120 votes in favor. In December, 153 countries voted in favor of demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire instead of just calling for it.

In defiance of the international community, Israel continues this war, disregarding the UN Security Council’s call for an immediate halt and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Source: Al Jazeera & Agencies

1. The Concept of Normalization

The root word ” طبع ” (ṭaba’) in Arabic carries many meanings, including normalization and

acclimatization, implying that a person becomes accustomed to something until it becomes second nature, or a matter becomes widely accepted in society until it is considered normal, i.e., familiar and ordinary. The word “ṭaba'” also conveys meanings of corruption and debasement. For example, we say, “the child has been tarnished” to indicate moral or physical corruption. We say, “the metal has rusted” or “the cloth has been soiled.” Similarly, “someone has been corrupted” refers to a person who lacks virtue and noble qualities.

Normalization, derived from the verb ” طَبَّعَ ” (ṭabba’a), means “calling for the normalization of relations with the enemy and making them ordinary.” This is directly relevant to the issue of normalization with the Zionist entity. The term “normalization” is laden with various meanings, interpretations, and analyses, which some view as an unforgivable crime. But what exactly is the precise definition of this  term, particularly in the context of Palestine and dealing with the occupation of its territories?

2. The Meaning of Normalization with the Zionist Entity

Normalization refers to the establishment of partnerships, initiatives, or joint projects, either locally or internationally, in a direct or indirect manner between Palestinians or Arabs and the Israeli entity, whether involving Zionist individuals or Israeli institutions.

Political and economic normalization is the “restructuring of relationships between two countries so that they become normal relations.” However, there is a flaw in the concept and in the attempt to impose and promote it, as political and economic normalization should occur between two natural countries, which is not the case with the Israeli occupation due to its structural abnormality. Israel remains a settler-colonial entity, not a state, and it will never be one, Allah willing.

It is also evident that those engaging in normalization do not address the brutal aggression, killings, torture, and persecution practiced against the Palestinian people. In short, normalization refers to dealing with an abnormal situation (such as the Israeli entity) as if it were natural and accepted.

3. Historical Background of Normalization

Arab governments previously refused to recognize the Israeli entity after the declaration of the establishment of Israel in 1948, in protest of the decision to partition Palestine. This rejection led to a series of Arab-Israeli wars in the following decades.

After the Six-Day War in 1967 and the October War in 1973, Egypt signed a treaty with the Israeli occupation in 1979, becoming the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with “Israel,” known as the Camp David Accords.

In 1994, Jordan also signed a peace agreement with “Israel,” known as the Wadi Araba Treaty, following Israel’s acceptance of the two-state solution with the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993. This was aimed at defusing any potential for renewed conflict through regional solutions, such as “Israel” leasing borderlands for 25 years.

4. Normalization with the Zionist Entity Entails Legal Responsibility

Normalization, according to specialized legal studies, is considered a form of criminal complicity in an ongoing crime that has persisted for 75 years: the military occupation of Palestine. These studies are based on international legal rulings and agreements, most notably UN Resolution 194, which concerns the right of return for Palestinians and compensation, emphasizing the civil responsibility of the occupying state. The issue is not limited to the crime of military occupation. A review of Israel’s occupation history reveals a record of crimes, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, terrorizing civilians, displacement, illegal settlement, the Judaization of Al-Quds, settler crimes, and the construction of the separation wall. International condemnation has been issued for each of these crimes, but none have resonated with the Zionist occupier. All these crimes are seen as “normal” under the concept of normalization! Every behavior by the Zionist entity that normalization seeks to normalize is, in fact, a crime under international law.

5. Legal Consequences of Normalization

• Normalization will grant the Zionist entity recognition of its sovereignty over Palestine, removing it from the circle of hostility among the normalizing countries, as if granting the right to continue the occupation, maintain settlements, and commit more crimes. Normalization would reward the Zionist entity for its actions.

• It will obscure the truth that Palestine belongs to its indigenous people and that its seizure contradicts international law, which defines mechanisms for state succession and territorial inheritance. The natural and legal outcome should be the right of the people and the original inhabitants of areas that were part of the Ottoman Caliphate, such as Palestine, to control their lands.

• The occupation is an ongoing crime, accompanied by crimes of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Thus, normalization is a complicit crime, and signing agreements with this ongoing criminal situation since 1948 — whether in security, military, trade, cultural, political, or tourism sectors — constitutes direct or indirect criminal partnership and encourages impunity.

• Normalization will not halt the Zionist entity’s criminal behavior, nor will it stop the threat of settlement expansion.

• One of the purposes of normalization is to sign agreements with the Zionist entity, which entrenches recognition of the entity. This entrenches the occupation as a permanent condition, contrary to international law, which does not permit occupation to become permanent. Occupation is a temporary condition created by force majeure and has no legal foundation.

• Normalization with Israel supports and legitimizes its dangerous practices and serious violations of international humanitarian law, especially regarding Jerusalem, including the decision to declare it as the “eternal capital” of the entity, which is a clear violation of United Nations resolutions.

6. Normalization in the Time of Genocide

In addition to what was mentioned above, normalization could also be a violation of the Genocide Convention. Article 1 of the convention states that “the contracting parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in times of peace or war, is a crime under international law, and they undertake to prevent and punish it.” Have the countries normalizing with Israel taken any steps to prevent Israel from committing genocide?

As Israel faces a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice for violating the Genocide Convention, and with expected arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court against its prime minister and defense minister for heinous crimes committed in Gaza over the past nine months, violating all international treaties and UN resolutions demanding a ceasefire — including temporary measures from the ICJ ordering Israel to halt military operations in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid — and with several countries severing diplomatic ties in protest of its crimes, discussing the resumption of normalization with this entity is unnatural and unacceptable.

7. Conclusion

Every form of cooperation that serves the interests of the Zionists poses a significant threat to Arab and Islamic nations. The Israeli entity strives relentlessly to establish relationships, agreements, treaties, activities, and projects with various Arab countries to affirm the Arab endorsement of what is now referred to as the so-called “Israeli state” — which, in reality, has no legitimate existence on the true world map.

The spread of normalization will gradually render what is unnatural seem normal and will further strengthen the Zionist entity as long as there are Arabs and Muslims who support it, directly or indirectly. Therefore, they must fully understand the importance of resisting the Israeli offers for normalization, which only benefits this oppressive entity.

The Israeli occupation’s attempts to normalize relations with Palestinians and Arab nations are

desperate efforts that clash with Israel’s abnormal and unnatural structure, evident in its deviant and unorthodox actions.

Source: Dr. Ahmad Al-Idrisi (Member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars) & Luna Farhat (Al- Akhbar) & Al Jazeera & Online Websites

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 11 people were martyred and around 4,000 were injured today, Tuesday, in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut due to explosions targeting Hezbollah members, caused by wireless communication devices (pagers) in an operation likely orchestrated by the Israeli occupation.

1. What are pagers?

A pager is a small wireless communication device developed in the 1960s for emergency use. It relies on sending digital signals via radio waves to notify the user that someone tried to contact them. It can also send short text messages. Before the widespread use of mobile phones, pagers were a popular means of communication, particularly among doctors working night shifts and emergency service personnel. They were also used in military and security fields.

• Why do Hezbollah members use pagers?

The pager is considered relatively old technology that cannot connect to the internet, making it somewhat safe from cyberattacks, espionage, and tracking attempts, which are common with mobile or smart phones. For this reason, it is still used in military and security fields, and this is likely why Hezbollah members possess these devices.

• How did the devices explode?

The New York Times revealed early on Wednesday new information about how Israel booby-trapped the communication devices that exploded, killing and injuring many Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria. The newspaper quoted informed officials saying that Israel hid explosives inside a batch of Taiwanese communication devices (pagers) that were imported to Lebanon. The officials stated that Hezbollah had ordered more than 3,000 communication devices from the Taiwanese company “Gold Apollo,” and small explosives were placed next to the battery of each device. They clarified that the communication devices ordered by Hezbollah were tampered with before reaching Lebanon. The newspaper also quoted Israeli officials saying that the devices were distributed to Hezbollah members across Lebanon and some of its allies in Iran and Syria. In the same context, Al-Monitor newspaper reported from intelligence sources that thousands of devices obtained by Hezbollah had been booby-trapped by Israel before being handed over to the group. The sources mentioned that Israel carried out the attack after gathering information indicating that two Hezbollah members had discovered the devices had been compromised, while the original plan was to detonate them in case of an all-out war to gain a strategic advantage.

CNN also reported from sources that the explosion of the pagers in Lebanon was a joint operation between Mossad and the Israeli army.

The Wall Street Journal reported from informed individuals that the damaged communication devices were part of a new shipment recently received by Hezbollah. Additionally, the American newspaper cited the security company “Lobec International” as saying that the explosion was caused by software that overheated the batteries, leading to their explosion, or by a remotely detonated charge.

The Washington Post, quoting a security research center, said that the incident resulted from the largest operation to replace imported communication devices with a batch containing explosives. A Lebanese security source told Al Jazeera that the wireless communication devices that exploded had been pre-rigged with explosives.

The Lebanese security source explained to Al Jazeera that the weight of the charge that was detonated did not exceed 20 grams of explosive materials.

He added that the communication devices that were detonated were imported five months ago, indicating that investigations are underway regarding multiple theories on how the explosive charge was activated.

Sources close to Hezbollah told the Associated Press that the new communication devices were equipped with lithium batteries, and it appears they exploded due to overheating.

Commenting on the incident, Euronews quoted system analyst and former U.S. intelligence agent Edward Snowden, suggesting that explosives were planted in the devices rather than a cyber breach, as the high number of consistent and very severe injuries points to such a cause; otherwise, there would have been more fires.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Su Cheng-Kuang, the founder of the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, said the communication devices that exploded in Lebanon carried the company’s trademark, but production was outsourced.

Su added that the targeted devices were manufactured by a company in Europe that had the right to use the Taiwanese company’s brand.

In light of the recent developments, Reuters reported that Taiwanese police had arrived at the headquarters of Gold Apollo.

• Which areas were most targeted?

The injuries were concentrated in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. However, there were no specific targeted areas, as the victims were all individuals carrying pager devices, regardless of their location. This is evidenced by the injury of four individuals in Syria as a result of an explosion in their car in a tunnel in the capital, Damascus. Syrian media suggested that the injured were Hezbollah members whose communication devices exploded.

• How many victims so far?

Moments after the series of explosions began, the number of injured rose to more than 4,000 people in Lebanon alone, 400 of whom are in critical condition. All of the injured were Hezbollah members carrying the targeted devices. The Lebanese Minister of Health announced the martyrdom of 11 people, including a child, among the victims. He stated that hospitals in the south have exceeded their capacity, and efforts are being made to transfer the wounded outside the province. The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also among the injured due to the explosion of a communication device he was carrying, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

Source: Al Jazeera, Agencies & American Press

Earlier on Tuesday, the Government Media Office in Gaza, alongside civil defense authorities, reported that at least 40 people were killed and more than 60 injured in an Israeli missile attack on a tent camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, where Palestinians were sheltering. Many remain missing. Israeli occupation forces have frequently targeted areas where their military had previously directed civilians to seek safety.

The Health Ministry noted, “A number of victims are still under the rubble, under the sand, and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them and retrieve them, and they have not reached hospitals yet.” This was reported while the Ministry acknowledged a lower death toll.

The Israeli occupation military contested the original casualty figures and stated that the attack, which witnesses said involved at least four missile strikes, was aimed at a Hamas command center. The Palestinian armed group refuted this claim, calling it a “blatant lie.”

Al-Mawasi has been crowded with displaced Palestinians living in tents since the Israeli occupation army designated the coastal area a “safe zone” during its ground offensives in Khan Younis and nearby Rafah. Rescuers searching for survivors found craters as deep as nine meters (30 feet) at the tent camp, according to Al Jazeera Arabic, citing local sources. Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with fires burning and Israeli reconnaissance planes circling overhead.

One witness, Attaf al-Shaar, told The Associated Press, “The people were buried in the sand. They were retrieved as body parts.” Al Jazeera’s Mansour Shouman added, “Dozens are still missing and the civil defense have been digging with their bare hands to get the people out.”

Despite being designated by Israel as a “safe area” and a “safe humanitarian zone,” al-Mawasi in southwestern Gaza has endured five Israeli massacres since May. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 217 Palestinians and the injury of 635 others.

Al-Mawasi, located along the southern Palestinian coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, has become a refuge for approximately 1.7 million displaced Palestinians fleeing months of Israeli occupation assaults. This pattern of forcing Palestinians to relocate to declared “safe” areas, only to strike them later, has been a recurring tactic since the Israeli genocidal war began in October. However, al-Mawasi remains devoid of basic living necessities and overcrowded with makeshift tents.

Summary of Al-Mawasi Massacres

Mawasi, Khan Younis:

-September 10, 2024:

Israeli occupation airstrikes on refugee tents in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, killed 40 Palestinians and injured 60 others. Several victims remain missing, buried beneath the sand, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Human rights groups and international organizations condemned the attack. Survivors reported that the bombing left deep craters, effectively turning them into mass graves.

-July 16, 2024:

An Israeli drone strike targeted a civilian vehicle on al-Attar Street, killing 17 Palestinians and injuring over 26 others.

-July 13, 2024:

Multiple airstrikes hit refugee camps in the al-Nas area, killing 90 people and injuring 300 more, including many women and children. The Gaza Government Media Office labeled it a “large massacre” and expressed concerns about the capacity of hospitals to handle the large number of casualties. Israel claimed the airstrikes targeted senior Hamas leaders; a claim Hamas denied.

Mawasi, Rafah:

-June 22, 2024:

Israeli occupation artillery shelled refugee tents in al-Mawasi, Rafah, killing 25 Palestinians and setting tents on fire. The Red Cross reported that the shelling affected its office and staff residence, resulting in significant casualties among displaced civilians.

-May 26, 2024:

Israeli occupation warplanes bombed a refugee camp in al-Mawasi, killing 45 Palestinians, including 23 women and elderly people, and injuring 249 others.

Since the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war on October 7, over 41,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been killed, with nearly 95,000 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Source: Al-Jazeera + Anadolu Agency

Israeli analyses and assessments have unanimously agreed that the Iranian drone attacks deep into Israeli territory should serve as a red alert for decision-makers in the Israeli security establishment, despite what they described as an “impressive achievement” by the Israeli defense system in collaboration with the United States.

Israeli analyses have also concurred that Iran has surpassed and broken the fear barrier by launching an attack on Israel from Iranian territory for the first time since the Islamic Revolution. This reflects the collapse of Israeli deterrence, with Tehran daring to challenge Tel Aviv and escalate tensions into a state of emergency and psychological warfare since targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and assassinating leaders of the Revolutionary Guard, notably Hassan Mahdavi, commander of the “Quds Force” in Syria and Lebanon.

Despite the diminishing deterrence capability and Iran’s audacity in attacking Israel, Israeli analysts’ readings indicate that the unprecedented Iranian attack, intercepted by Israeli defense systems in collaboration with the United States and regional countries, represents “operational success,” potentially paving the way for forming a US-Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran.

According to analysts’ estimates, the Israeli military is not in a rush to respond to the Iranian attack at the moment, although this could harm deterrence capabilities. Analysts agree that the attack in Iran could exacerbate the situation and drag the region into a regional war, especially after Tehran succeeded in attacking Israel and establishing a concerning precedent.

Deterrence Collapse

Under the headline “Netanyahu waited amid victory celebrations… A dismal failure of deterrence against Iran,” Ariel Shemidberg, the newsroom editor at “Walla” website, wrote an article heavily criticizing Netanyahu’s handling of the Iranian threat, saying: “Despite the achievement of the defense system, Iran managed to unsettle us for two weeks and strike deep into Israeli territory.”

On the other hand, Shemidberg says, “There has also been a monumental failure regarding Israel and the United States’ ability to create deterrence against Iran, which has demonstrated immense strength and unprecedented courage, a sign of the collapse of the terror balance. The balance of terror against Hezbollah in Lebanon was also not entirely balanced, which Israel fears.”

The article’s author recommended that the Israeli elites wait and postpone expressions of joy and victory celebrations, saying: “We have not won yet. Israel is still far from achieving its goals and victory, as evidenced by the families of the abducted, and tens of thousands of residents of the north and south who are still displaced from their homes and are moving around as refugees in their own country for the past 6 months.”

Response Options

Regarding the military side and anticipation of the Israeli response, military analyst Amir Bouhbout believes Israel faces a dilemma of “containing the attack or responding with a strike in Iran, risking escalation and dragging the region into a regional war?”

As a result, the military analyst says, “Senior officials in the Israeli General Staff will be asked to assess Iran’s potential responses. They will also need to receive a series of recommendations on whether to respond forcefully and exact a price from the military bases of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its locations or choose to assassinate Iranian security personnel.”

Bouhbout also believes that it will be incumbent upon the leaders of the General Staff to consider whether they will settle for a limited operation, where Israeli Air Force pilots carry out a mission at a distance of 1500 kilometers to strike a symbolic Iranian target, such as a government building, weapon depots, oil wells, and even Iranian ships sailing in the sea.

As for the third option, based on statements from the Israeli army spokesman and Defense Minister Yuval Galant, the military analyst estimates that Israel will not rush into a response. It will carefully consider the degree of response at the appropriate time, indicating that Israeli assessments agree that Iran aims to destroy air bases and surpass the Israeli army in the Middle East.

Netanyahu’s Approach

As part of the criticism of Netanyahu’s performance during the Iranian threats and drone attacks that reached deep into Israeli territory, Israeli writer Carmela Cohen Shlomi described Netanyahu as “cowardly” for neglecting Israel during the Iranian attack, which was handled by US President Joe Biden, who took charge and returned it to its senses.

“After difficult hours during which Israeli citizens were searching for someone to explain to them what was happening,” Cohen wrote in an article on the “Zman Yisrael” website, “an elderly, pale, and sweaty man appeared on the screen wandering near the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, asking, ‘Is there 7 shekels (2 dollars) here? I need to go to a friend’s shelter.'”

“With these words, the Israeli writer described Netanyahu and summarized his approach in managing Israel’s affairs during emergencies, saying: ‘He destroyed everything and still holds onto a draft speech ending with the phrase ‘Together we will prevail,’ using Iranian attacks to divert attention from protests and promote the idea that Israel is in danger.’

Writer and political analyst Ben Caspit seemed more explicit when he wrote in an article for Ma’ariv newspaper that the Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel were the lowest point reached by Netanyahu’s government, which continues to experience failure and shortcomings even in the realm of national security.

According to Ben Caspit’s perspective, Israel suffered a heavy and unprecedented public humiliation from Iran, stating, ‘Israeli deterrence, which prevented Iran from directly attacking us, has collapsed, as have joint international deterrence efforts. The Iranians have broken the fear barrier. From now on, Iran is openly against Israel.’

Referring to the delayed and potentially undisclosed nature of the response, Ben Caspit says, ‘As expected, Biden tried to pull Netanyahu down from the tree and avoid a quick and harsh reaction, and it seems he has succeeded in doing so, at least for now.’

The political analyst believes that Israel reopening its airspace and resuming flights at Ben Gurion Airport ‘means that the likelihood of an immediate Israeli response, promised by Netanyahu’s close associates, has become slim, and the natural need to teach the Iranians a harsh lesson and make them pay a heavy price now confronts the complex strategic reality in the Middle East.'”