Five takeaways from the ’12 Day War’
'Israel was not only attacking Iran's nuclear program but was seeking justice for its funding of the October 7 Hamas attacks'
With a fragile ceasefire declared in the conflict between Israel and Iran, it is clear we are living through historic times with vital lessons to be learnt.
1. Israel made significant military achievements
Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic weapons and key members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and nuclear scientists has been hailed by many as an incredible military feat. According to reports, United States President Donald Trump was impressed by Israel’s military skills, which led the US to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday.
Israel has now decimated not only Iran’s military capabilities – but also its proxies Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which paved the way for the Assad regime in Syria to fall.
In going after the head of the snake, Israel was not only attacking Iran’s nuclear program but was seeking justice for its funding of the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed over 1200 people.
Netanyahu and Trump, both interested in leaving a legacy, have now cemented their place in history. Whether they have stopped the Iranian threat completely seems unclear, as Iran may have moved its enriched uranium, and could still pursue nuclear weapons. However, when Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in Syria and Iraq, that ended those programs.
2. The Israel/US relationship is strong
The way in which the Israelis and the Americans worked together on this operation suggests that they have closer intelligence sharing and coordination than anyone realises.
There were concerns that President Trump bypassed Israel when he met with Gulf nations in May, and that he had downgraded his relationship with Netanyahu – that all now appears to be untrue.
In striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, President Trump also stood up to his MAGA supporters who were concerned about America entering another Middle East war that could become a “forever war”. In Trump announcing a ceasefire on Tuesday, he was able to declare that the US war against Iran was over…at least for now.
A ceasefire will bring little comfort to those who were hoping for regime change in Iran. While Israel sought to encourage regime change, by targeting IRGC leaders and bombing the entrance to the Evin prison, ultimately regime change must come from the Iranian people if it to be sustainable and accepted.
3. Israelis supported the strikes on Iran but want peace
According to polls, around 70 per cent of Israelis supported the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities with many concerned they represented an existential threat. But Israelis also want and deserve to return to a “normal life”, rather than running to bomb shelters in fear of their lives.
As Israeli Avner Bernheimer wrote in Haaretz, “This public does not want its homes or those of its family, friends and neighbours to blow up and burn, or even to shake a bit. They don’t want dead, wounded, trapped or people suffering from shock. They don’t want children crying in the bomb shelter, and they don’t want them later as soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Israelis have paid a terrible price for this war – with over 28 killed from Iran’s attacks. They include a seven-year-old Ukrainian girl who came to Israel to receive treatment for leukaemia, in addition to her mother and grandmother. Iranians have also suffered with over 600 people killed.
4. We need to bring the hostages home
Israel’s war with Iran put a pause on the protest movement that had hundreds of thousands of the people in the streets calling for the return of the hostages and an end to the war in Gaza. The protestors were also calling for Netanyahu to agree to a commission of inquiry into the government’s responsibility for the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Tragically, 50 hostages remain in Gaza, 22 are believed to be alive. They are being kept in inhumane conditions and must come home immediately.
5. Australia’s relationship with the US has weakened
Australia’s initial tepid statement in support of the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the Opposition described as “ambiguous”, illustrated that Australia’s relationship with the US has weakened.
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said they supported the strikes at a press conference, but their hearts did not appear to be in it.
It is suspected that Australia was not consulted about the strikes, unlike the UK.
Moreover, Albanese failed to achieve a face-to-face meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the G7, and the US will be reviewing the AUKUS deal for nuclear submarines.
Given that Australia relies on US support for its defence policy, this weakening in the relationship is alarming. Australia is likely concerned by Trump’s willingness to make decisions based on instinct and transactions and may be looking for additional more reliable defence arrangements with the European Union, UK and in the Indo pacific with Japan and Indonesia.
Australia has been wedded to the “rules based international order” which has generally protected “middle power” nations like Australia. However, the rules based international order is falling apart, as superpowers ignore it, and as international organisations like the UN are marred by hypocrisy. If Australia seeks to continue to have a strong relationship with the US it will need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk, and that will include genuinely supporting Israel against its enemies who seek to destroy it.
Sharyn Kolieb is The AJN’s editor-at-large.