Does Iran matter?

@Ontheroad I agree with you. Why should Israel sit back and take the abuse Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah are dishing out? They should NOT. The middle east is a rough neighborhood. You have to show strength or you cease to exist.

@carpediem Israel needs parking.

@MasterLee No argument there, but you can't sit back with your heels on the table while the neighbors are hurling missiles at you. You get up and make your presence known with no uncertainty.

@carpediem the real problem isn't Iran... without Russia, China, and a few other minor players in the Middle East, they are a nothing burger.

The Middle East is a tricky place, but Israel cannot sit by passively.

@Ontheroad “Let me get this straight. Israel should be okay with Iran for supporting and encouraging Hamas who constantly attacks Israel... is that it?”

Hamas can't do anything to Israel without them allowing it. Oct. 7th happened because of security failures that were either deliberate or due to arrogance and poor communication. Israel is able to stop rockets that Hamas sends. They are much stronger than Iran. Why should Israel risk the security of our world to go after a country that will never be able to destroy it?

@SW-User Yes, Oct 7, or the result of Hamas' attack was in part due to a failure of Israel. Nonetheless, they did stage and carry out a brutal act of aggression/war against Israel.

An attack supported by Iran, the major source of weaponry and materials which are what allows the very existence of Hamas.

Iran has vowed to destroy Israel and supports terrorism throughout the Middle East and the world.

They, not Israel, risk the security of the world.

No country can, with enemies surrounding them, can ever maintain 24/7/365 security endlessly. There will be failures, breaches, lapses, etc. Evidence Ukraine's incursion into Russia, a county with tenfold their military might.

The real question, at least for me, is why should the world allow Iran to endanger our world. Enough is enough.

@SW-User " They are much stronger than Iran." Well you'd think they'd be smart enough by now to leave Israel alone. Do you remember what happened on 9/11/01? Do you remember what the US did to Afghanistan? Do you think Afghanistan was a serious threat to the US? None of the terrorist involved in 9/11/01 were even from there. Why the hell should Israel just sit back and tolerate being attacked over and over and over again?

@robb65 Israel does not want to be like every other country in Middle East. It has always sought dominance, and it serves the interests of political elites in America. Iran takes exception to this. Since 1979 they have had an Islamic theocracy and unlike the Iranian shah who led the country prior to this, they do not want to be subservient to the West. They take exception to treatment of Muslims in Palestine, and they reject the Zionist agenda. The Israelis wanted to establish their country in Middle East, knowing very well about the rise of nationalism in countries surrounding them, and the potential hostilities that became reality very early on. Iran may have mostly been amenable for several decades, but it changed, and this is the cost of artificially establishing a country in a region where you aren't welcome and using violence to do so. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced so Israel could have land, and settlements continue to be built despite harm it causes to Palestinians. They are mistreated, and they are considered less important, to the extent they are imprisoned and killed and left without homes.

@Ontheroad Wonder how she feels about Russia's unprovoked invasion of the much smaller Ukraine.

@robb65 It was not unprovoked, but I dislike all war. It can sometimes be inevitable. In this circumstance, the West has been provoking Russia for a very long time. USA has interfered in Ukraine and Ukraine has mistreated Russians who live in the east. Lugansk and Donetsk are not ruled by Kiev and have had pro Russian leadership since 2014. Russia and Ukraine are very different to Iran and Israel. These places share a culture, people, and language. It is a great shame we are at war, as we are very close and have far more in common than not.

What does Israel share with the rest of Middle East? They are a westernized country with western interests, culturally and politically isolated from their neighbors and certainly from Iran.

@Ontheroad Why do you say I'm a propaganda troll? How do you expect me to respond?