Yesterday, I opened the closet in my central Tel Aviv apartment and pulled out a brown box that I hadn't touched since I moved in. Inside was my state-issued gas mask.
With everything going on just over 100 miles away in Syria, I figured it was time to make sure all the components were there and give the instruction booklet a thorough read. (I didn't pay close enough attention during the gas mask lesson that was part of my Israel Defense Forces basic training.) I'm not the type of person who overly worries about things I can't control, but sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.
Such is life in Israel these days. On the surface, life goes on as normal. The bars are packed and the bikini-clad women at the beaches are as beautiful as ever. Most Israelis seem much more interested in the recent breakup of celebrity couple Ninet Tayeb and Yehuda Levi than in any of the violent unrest taking place in the region around us. But just beneath the surface lies a nagging anxiety.
So far, we've mostly managed to avoid feeling the pinch of the upheaval that has shaken the Middle East in recent years. Ironically, the past few years have been among the quietest ever for Israel in terms of security. The question is, how much longer can that continue?
With U.S.-led military action in Syria looming, that question has taken on added urgency. Israel has faced retaliation for American intervention in the Middle East before, when Saddam Hussein fired several dozen Scud missiles at Israel during the First Gulf War in 1991. So while Israel has been careful to avoid taking sides in Syria's bloody civil war, it may become a top target for Syrian President Bashar Assad's wrath in the wake of Western airstrikes.
The threat of Syrian retaliation against Israel, however, should not give the West reason for pause. The use of chemical weapons, particularly in the tinderbox that is the Middle East, cannot be tolerated. Even if its power has decreased somewhat in recent years, the U.S. is still the world's leading superpower and has the moral obligation to prevent genocide where it can. The world cannot stand idly by as Assad continues to massacre his own people. Also, on a wider strategic level, a series of surgical airstrikes against the Assad regime would serve as a nice reminder to Russian President Vladimir Putin (one of Assad's last remaining allies) that, despite any of his ambitions for Russia, the U.S. still rules the roost.
And don't worry too much about Israel. It can defend itself. Israel has powerful deterrent capabilities, and Assad knows that a direct attack on Israel would be suicide for him and his regime. Even if Assad wants to go out in a blaze of glory, Israel has an impressive aerial defense network -- including, but not limited to, the Patriot and Iron Dome systems -- that would likely negate his ability to inflict serious damage on the Israeli homefront (not to mention that a Syrian attack on Israel would no doubt prompt the Israel Air Force to jump into action and take out Assad's missile launch sites and weapons storage facilities).
I don't envy U.S. President Barack Obama. A military strike against Assad would have unknown consequences while inaction would further cement America's declining status in the world. Ideally, the situation will play out without requiring Israeli involvement. But if Assad (or his close ally Hezbollah) makes the error of retaliating against Israel for U.S. action, Israel must be ready to respond immediately with a deadly knockout blow.
But while the worst-case scenarios are frightening, the routine rhythm of life continues in Israel. On Tuesday, children returned to school after summer vacation, and 1.25 million Israelis watched the "Big Brother" finale. During its six decades of existence, Israel has faced an endless parade of dire threats, yet the sun has always risen the next day. The current tension over Syria will pass as well.
The writer is an Israel Hayom English Edition editor.
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