A Strike… Then Shock?

There’s something grimly impressive about Israel’s ability to bomb another country and then, with a perfectly straight face, act utterly outraged when someone dares to hit back. One might almost admire the sheer audacity—if it weren’t for the fact that it keeps resulting in massive loss of life, destabilised regions, and the slow, grinding demolition of international law.

Iran: Forever Just About to Go Nuclear

Take the latest round of fireworks: Israel attacked Iran on Friday. Why? Because, as always, Iran is apparently just about to develop nuclear weapons. Not next year, not maybe someday, but any moment now. You can almost hear Netanyahu pacing around with a stopwatch yelling, “Any second now!”—which is rather bold for a man who’s been saying the same thing since 1992. Either Iran is building the slowest nuclear weapon in history or this is the geopolitical version of crying wolf, only with airstrikes instead of fairy tales.

Not a Fan of Iran… But Still Not Buying It

Let’s be clear. I’m no apologist for Iran. It’s an authoritarian state with a deeply oppressive regime, and there’s little to celebrate about its theocratic leadership. But what I am sick to death of is watching Israel treat international borders like mild suggestions and sovereign nations like piñatas—blow them up and then act surprised when the stick comes flying back.

“Self-Defence” Now Brought to You by Orwell

And yet, every time this happens, Israel’s response is a kind of masterclass in moral gymnastics. “We are defending ourselves,” they say, moments after launching the opening salvo. One might expect that sentence to be uttered after an attack, not during or instead of owning up to being the aggressor. If launching airstrikes on another country is now classified as “defence,” then we might want to re-write the entire Geneva Convention in crayon.

The American Safety Blanket

But of course, Israel doesn’t have to worry about the Geneva Convention, or the UN, or anything else really, because Big Uncle America has its arm wrapped lovingly around its shoulder. No matter how reckless the actions, no matter how many apartment blocks are levelled in Gaza or how many scientists mysteriously explode in Tehran, Israel gets a free pass, a “get out of war crimes free” card, and a hearty slap on the back for “preserving democracy.”

When People Hit Back: Cue the Outrage Machine

And what happens when someone fires back? Suddenly it’s pogroms, persecution, and the end of civilisation as we know it. Suddenly every university student with a Palestinian flag is part of a coordinated global conspiracy, and Western leaders line up to frown meaningfully while doing absolutely nothing. It’s theatre. Bleak, grotesque, and incredibly deadly theatre.

Criticism Is Not Antisemitism

Now, before someone screams antisemitism, let’s make this clear: criticising a government, especially one currently acting with all the restraint of a drunken rhino, is not the same as attacking a people or religion. In fact, many Israelis—brave, moral people—are speaking out against what their government is doing. But Netanyahu and his far-right coalition do not speak for all Israelis. They speak for themselves and the dark, militarised ideology they’ve used to cling to power.

Arrogance Has Consequences

The retaliation now coming their way? Well, it’s grim. It’s awful. It’s tragic. But it’s also inevitable. You cannot keep throwing punches and then act gobsmacked when one lands back. The hubris is staggering, the arrogance unmatched.

Where Are the Sanctions?

And if this cycle of bombing and “defending” continues, one has to ask the question: Why is Israel not facing the same kind of global sanctions that Russia faced when it invaded Ukraine? Why the double standard? Why the cowardly silence?

Support Becomes Complicity

Perhaps it’s because too many in the West are afraid. Afraid of losing political donors, afraid of being smeared, afraid of being accused of bigotry when they are, in fact, simply asking for consistency, for justice, and for basic international law to be applied evenly.

But if things continue this way, if carpet bombing entire regions and calling it “defence” remains the norm, then eventually the support propping up Israel’s reckless actions won’t just be cowardly—it’ll be complicit.

And the world will have to live with the consequences.