Around eight months ago, Israel relaxed its compulsive preoccupation with the Iranian nuclear program, at least outwardly. This was interpreted by Western nations as Israel's acceptance of a new reality in which only the West (i.e., the U.S.) could stop Iran's centrifuges. Israel stepped back from the frontline of the struggle against Iran, creating space for the U.S., Europe and international bodies. The sense of Israel's newfound passivity on the matter was strengthened by the Knesset election campaign in which the Iranian nuclear issue did not feature prominently. The U.S. wants us to believe that it will know how to stop Iran. President Shimon Peres trusts the Americans and Israel hopes the U.S. will be successful. As long as Barack Obama is in the White House, Iran wouldn't dare go nuclear. But U.S. assurances to Israel on the issue will expire when there is a new president in four years. The current situation doesn't work in Israel's favor. Israel needs the international community to believe that it has a credible, independent military option and that it would use that option in a worst-case scenario. Even Israelis who oppose an independent strike on Iran's nuclear facilities should want the world to believe Israel has the capability to do so. On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would not permit Iran to go nuclear. On Tuesday, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz echoed that sentiment. Gantz didn't say whether he supported or opposed an attack on Iran, but he clarified the importance of Israel being able to convince both its enemies and friends that it has the power to act on its own. This is what must be broadcast to the world ahead of the upcoming visit to Israel by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who is known to oppose a military strike on Iran. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon joined the chorus on Tuesday night. He spoke more cautiously than Netanyahu and Gantz, leaving considerable space for international diplomatic and military action. But it is clear that Israeli leaders wisely sensed that Israel's national interests had been harmed by the international community's assumption that Israel had given up on independent military action. The Romans were the fathers of the phrase "if you want peace, prepare for war." In this spirit, those who want international action, whether diplomatic or military, to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, should also be prepared for the possibility that Israel will take on this task by itself.
