The New Middle East: Pax Israelica?

 On October 6th, 2023, the eve of the October 7th attacks, Israel faced perhaps its most perilous strategic environment in half a century. Hamas was poised to launch its deadliest assault since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. To the north, Hezbollah boasted 100,000 trained fighters and an estimated arsenal of 120,000 missiles. Iran stood dominant, its nuclear weapons program advancing and its regional influence expanding, backed by the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Iraq, Assad in Syria, and its proxies in Gaza and Lebanon. This “Ring of Fire” encircled Israel, threatening overwhelming retaliation should it strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden was seen as a restraining force on any Israeli pre-emptive action.