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Just as 9/11 changed America, October 7 changed Israel. We’re only starting to realize how much.
For years, the Israelis were trapped in the “proportionate” political game: Some terrorist knucklehead hits them over here, so you hit ‘em back over there. A few months later, they do it again. An endless, eternal, never-ending game of tit-for-tat.
Andweallgotusedtoit!ThiswashowweassumedtheMiddleEastalwaysnegotiated:Everyonerattlestheirsabers,talksabiggame,andtriestogetinthelastword,butattheendoftheday,nothingreallychanges.
AfterOctober7,Israelstoppedplayingthe“proportionate”game.Itturnsoutthatdisproportionateresponsesworkahelluvalotbetter.
Wedidn’trealizeitrightaway.InvadingtheGazaStriptopursuetheHamasbarbarianswhokidnappedyourwomenandchildrenwasano-brainer.Sothefirstpartoftheirmilitaryresponsewasentirelyasexpected.
Whatwasn’texpectedwasthattheIsraeliswereactuallyplanningtorazetheentireantisemiticcesspoolintheregiontotheground—andnow,Iran’snextontheirhitlist.
Itcaughtusbysurprisebecauseit’scontrarytoeverythingtheBi