The bigger reason Hamas acted now, which it won’t admit, is that it saw how Israel was being more accepted by the Arab world and soon possibly by the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia
If you think Israel is now crazy, it is because Hamas punched it in the face. So now Israel believes it must restore deterrence by proving that it can outcrazy Hamas.
The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has similarities to previous wars started by non-state actors backed by Iran, such as Hezbollah in 2006. These attacks are designed to challenge the acceptance of Israel s existence in the region. While Israel has responded with force in the past, it has also faced criticism for the casualties caused.
But what makes this war different for me from any war before is Israel s internal politics. In the past nine months, a group of Israeli far-right and ultra-Orthodox politicians led by Netanyahu tried to kidnap Israeli democracy in plain sight. The religious-nationalist-settler right, led by the prime minister, tried to take over Israel s judiciary and other key institutions by eliminating the power of Israel s Supreme Court to exercise judicial review.