‘Good beginning’ vs ‘Grave mistake’: Israeli politicians weigh in on Iran attack

Israel's recent attack on Iran has led to polarising reactions across the political spectrum of the country, with some criticising the country's restraint while others praising their precise and contained strikes.

On Saturday, Israel launched airstrikes at several military targets in Iran in response to the Iranian missile attack on October 1. The Israeli attack hit missile manufacturing facilities and also caused the death of two soldiers, despite the Iranian government stating that the damage was “limited.”

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US President Biden, who was allegedly involved in the show of restraint in the attack, supported Israel's right to self-defence, many politicians within Israel were not pleased with the scope of the Israeli offensive.

In a post on X congratulating the Air Force, leader of opposition, Yair Lapid said, “The decision not to attack strategic and economic targets in Iran was wrong. We could and should have exacted a much heavier price from Iran.”

Also Read: Israel's strikes against Iran: How did Pakistan, Saudi and other nations react?

He added, “Iran is the head of the axis of evil, and must pay a heavy price for its aggression.”

Tally Gotliv, a member prime minister Netanyahu's Likud party, criticised the government for not inflicting more serious damage under the orders of the US.

She said, “Not striking Iran's nuclear facilities will be a cause for regret for generations. Not striking Iran's oil reserves is a grave mistake. Unfortunately, this is submission to the Biden administration which doesn't think for a moment about Israel's interests.”

However, Netanyahu's decision found support from many unexpected fronts as well.

Israel's minister of national security Itamar Ben Gvir, who had previously slammed Israel's restrained response to Iran's strike in April, wrote on X that this attack “was a good beginning in order to target Iran's strategic assets, which needs to be the next phase.”

The Israeli offensive was also praised by opposition leader Yair Golan, head of the Israeli Labor Party, for “harming Iran's defensive and offensive capabilities without dragging us into a war of attrition.”

While US influence in the attack is still a matter of debate on the home front, PM Netanyahu's office has issued a denial of reports that US pressure changed his initial plans to hit Iran's oil reserves.

"Israel chose the targets ahead of time, based on its national interests and not based on American directives," the statement said.

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