Israel will certainly respond to the Iranian attack, there is no doubt about that, but what is not clear is what will be the target.
The fact that not a single Israeli was killed by the Iranian missile attack allows Israel to decide to hit a symbolic but significant strategic military target without causing unnecessary escalation. Damage to economic targets such as oil pipelines and electricity production facilities will greatly harm the civilian population, which to me seems to be a conflict of interest of Israel with the citizens of Iran, most of whom do not support the regime of the Ayatollahs. Israel must respond because no sovereign country can tolerate a missile attack against it. But Israel also needs to understand that the danger of escalation vis-a-vis Iran is too great, especially when the US opposes a disproportionate Israeli response and will not willingly participate in Israel’s own instigated war against Iran.
There is a near and clear possibility for Israel to de-escalate the situation with Iran and this is what it should do.
