During the prolonged war that eight Arab and Muslim fronts launched against Israel on October 7, 2023, tiny Israel, backed actively by only the U.S., has been determined to defend itself by counter attacking.

The initial war effort's intent, headed and financed by Iran, was to harass Israel by occupying Israel's military, while Iran could develop its nuclear technology, with the goal to "erase Israel off the map."

President Joe Biden's Administration, which has limited Israel's action to defense only, has supplied defensive arms in kind, but it openly forbids any offensive one, failing to explain how it is possible to defend against incoming missiles and rockets without attacking the bases from which they are launched. However, the new Trump Administration is expected to revise that policy and release Israel from that limitation.

(About the Author)

Raphael Israeli has taught Islamic, Chinese, and Middle Eastern history at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A graduate of Hebrew University in history and Arabic literature, he earned a Ph.D. in Chinese and Islamic history from the University of California, Berkeley. Now retired, he has been a Fellow of the Harry Truman Research Institute at Hebrew University and the Jerusalem Center since the1970s. He is the author of 110 books and 100 articles.