Why Has Israel Not Yet Responded to Iran's Missile Attack?

Two weeks after the Islamic Republic of Iran's missile attack on Israel, media in the country are examining why Israel has not yet responded. On October 1, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted Israel with 181 ground-to-ground ballistic missiles in the second direct attack from Iranian airspace and territory. The missile attack did not cause casualties but damaged two air bases in southern Israel and several homes in the center of the country. Yoav Galant, Israel's Minister of Defense, stated on October 10 that Israel's operations in response to Iran's missile attack would be 'lethal, precise, and particularly surprising; (in such a way that) they will not understand from where and how they were hit (but) they will see the results.' Reports from global media regarding an 'imminent response' from Israel to Iran apparently did not take into account the Hebrew calendar. Israel began the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, on the evening of October 1, which led to the most sacred religious day of the year, Yom Kippur, and the major fast. These important Jewish religious ceremonies will continue with the eight-day holiday of Sukkot, which celebrates the booths and ultimately the holiday of Simchat Torah. The 'Simchat Torah' celebration was the occasion through which the extremist group Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israeli territory last October, triggering the ongoing Gaza war. Two Israeli officials told the newspaper Maariv on October 12 that Israel's lack of response to Iran is related to a conversation that took place on October 10 between U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; a conversation that Netanyahu publicly requested to coordinate with the White House regarding Israel's actions towards Iran and postponed his defense minister's trip to Washington until after this discussion. According to these two Israeli officials, there is likely a connection between the timing of Israel's response and the upcoming U.S. elections in about three weeks. They added that Israel's plans regarding Iran have not changed, but 'coordination and the correct strategy for Israel' are decisive. Maariv also quoted Nathan Eshel, a politician and journalist close to Netanyahu and former editor of Israel Hayom, stating, 'Just as we waited for a certain stage to act in Lebanon while dealing with the south (Gaza), we are now in a stage of contemplation and must currently watch the north (dealing with Hezbollah in Lebanon). In operations in the north, we will also reach the stage where we finish it and deal with Iran.' Eshel, who has previously served as the Prime Minister's chief of staff, added, 'Iran is not escaping. We are patient based on the teachings of our forefathers.' According to Ben Caspit, a journalist for Maariv and Channel 12 of Israel, Nathan Eshel wrote in a message to his colleagues over the weekend: 'Iran is powerless against us and is aware of this. We have proven our strength and shown them that they cannot handle us... Our message is much more important than exchanging blows... For now, we are busy with other important missions regarding Gaza and Lebanon.' One day after the tripartite conversation between Netanyahu, Biden, and Harris, Washington announced on October 11 additional sanctions against Iran's oil and petrochemical industry, emphasizing that the increase in sanctions was due to Iran's missile attack on Israel. Opposition leaders in Israel have recently emphasized the need to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett insisted on the necessity of targeting Iran's nuclear sites, stating that striking the leadership of the Islamic Republic should also be an option on the table. Channel 14 of Israel wrote on October 12 on its website that the world's expectation for a military response from Israel to Iran has stretched to two weeks, and many are asking whether Israel has missed the right moment to attack. This channel quoted retired Major General Amihai Ya'gor, a former senior commander of the Israeli Navy, stating that the passage of more time for Israel, which was seeking a disproportionate response, is harmful. He expressed concern that the lack of a military response could lead to further attacks from Iran. Major global media outlets have speculated in recent weeks about how Israel might respond and have spoken with many experts, including the possibility of attacking nuclear facilities, missile sites, oil infrastructure, or conducting commando operations against Iranian figures involved in the decision to launch the missile attack on Israel. NBC reported on October 11 that the list of Israeli targets considered for operations has been narrowed down. Israel did not respond to this report. The U.S. also officially announced on October 12 that it would send a high-altitude THAAD missile defense system along with 100 military personnel to assist in Israel's air defense. A poll by the Direct Polls Institute in Israel published on October 13 indicated that 34% of Israelis believe that Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet issued an order to respond to Iran due to heavy international pressure, particularly from the Biden administration. 50% believe that the delay is due to operational assessments, and 16% attribute it to other reasons. 54% of the Israeli public believes that only targeting Iran's nuclear facilities would be an appropriate response to Iran's missile attack. 25% of respondents preferred attacking Iranian government headquarters, while 13% saw striking Iran's oil facilities as necessary to cut Tehran's revenue. Leaders of the Islamic Republic and senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard have emphasized in recent days that they will 'certainly' respond to any Israeli attack with more effective blows.