Israel Was Damaged in its Victory Over Iran

 By Henry Srebrnik, [Saint John, N.B.] Telegraph-Journal

The ceasefire between Iran and Israel, declared on June 24, signaled the conclusion of the most intense and severe phase to date in the ongoing confrontation between the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state.There is little doubt that Israel, supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, emerged victorious in its “Twelve Day War” over the Iranian theocracy, but it was at great cost.

Even if Iran retains a stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, which it had before the conflict and may have relocated to hidden sites, its nuclear program has been significantly set back. Although it is likely that the two enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow were not completely destroyed, they suffered substantial damage, and the elimination of more than ten senior nuclear scientists will either prevent or, at least, seriously hamper Iran’s ability to break out toward nuclear weapons in the foreseeable future.

But how has this conflict, just paused rather than ended, affected Israel? After all, the war also highlighted grave problems in Israel’s defensive capability, especially given how small the nation is.

Since coming to power in 1979, the Iranian regime has sought Israel’s destruction as a matter of theological principle and a pillar of the Islamic Republic’s ideology. For decades the most powerful driver among Israel’s enemies has not been the Palestinians, but Iran, a country 75 times the size of Israel and more than 1,600 kilometres away.

Since Iran’s target is far away, it has for decades made use of skilful proxies -- the Assad regime in Syria, but also Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, who, as non-state actors, have worked to destabilise the region.

Despite that, there were no direct military confrontations between Iran and Israel until last year, when Iran twice launched missiles at Israel. They caused almost no damage -- but this time it’s been different. Throughout the recent fighting, Iranian authorities and media emphasized Israeli casualties and the scale of damage inflicted on Israel, in an effort to construct a narrative that the Islamic Republic is capable of withstanding prolonged confrontation with Israel and causing it serious harm in return.

During the current clash, Iran launched up to 1,000 ballistic missiles and drones at Israel. Despite Israel’s advanced air defence systems, it was not able to intercept them all. Some of what happened can be quantified: Of about 550 ballistic missiles fired at Israelis, 31 seem to have made it through the interceptors.

They hit important infrastructure, from the port of Haifa in the north down to Beersheba, in the Negev. Iran managed to strike Israel directly at some of its most sensitive and protected sites. Israelis fervently hoped it would end before the Iron Dome’s supply of interceptors ran out.

Iran targeted Tel Aviv and areas around it, damaging numerous apartment buildings. Many families with safe rooms spent most of the 12 days there, others would use public shelters whenever an alert was raised, and yet others headed to underground parking lots, knowing that anything above ground could be obliterated by a direct hit. One deadly missile strike destroyed an apartment building in Bat Yam, killing nine people.

Since 1948, Israel’s major cities have never faced the kind of threat experienced during this war: Over 2,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, with apartment buildings and office towers smashed, and multiple buildings reduced to rubble. As well, 29 Israeli civilians were killed and more than 3,000 injured. Some 13,000 people were left homeless, city streets were emptied, and economic activity ground to a halt.

The October 7, 2003 Hamas attack was largely perceived by Israelis as a singular catastrophe. The war with Iran, however, has chipped away at their long-held sense of security. Millions felt their sense of immunity gone. Press censorship magnified this fear: not publishing the locations of missile strikes led to a flood of rumours on social media.

One of the significant hits was the Soroka University Medical Centre, affiliated with the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba -- a strike that injured dozens. Among other targets in the Negev were the Israeli Military Intelligence School. All these and others took direct, destructive hits.

Tehran also hit the Gav-Yam Negev Advanced Technologies Park, which reportedly houses active military and cyber facilities. That blaze also reached a Microsoft office, while Israel Railways announced the temporary closure of the Beersheba North-University station due to damage sustained in the attack. Another major strike damaged the Bazan Oil Refinery in Haifa.

Especially shocking was the destruction of buildings at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, one of the world’s most prestigious research facilities. It consumed years of research in a moment -- a loss of potential cures and human innovation impossible to tally. A biochemistry professor calculated that 63 labs were gone, and that about 700 scientists and students saw their workspace, equipment, and research material destroyed in an instant.

Despite all this devastation, in bombing Iran’s nuclear sites President Trump fulfilled a decades-long Israeli aspiration. Yet the need for direct American involvement was a recognition of the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had started a conflict which Israel could not finish alone. Still, neither Israel nor the U.S. will permit Iran to have nuclear weapons. That remains the bottom line.