Israel-US attack on Iran: The price of Netanyahu's messianic wars
Israel's decision to attack Iran cannot be interpreted through any rational lens. It directly contradicts Israel's longstanding military doctrine, which was built on short, decisive operations aimed at securing tangible strategic goals - a doctrine rooted in Israel's inherent geographic, economic and demographic vulnerabilities.
What we are witnessing now is a fundamental shift: the abandonment of strategic realism in favour of a theology-driven war without end.
The transformation is stark. Israel is evolving from a western-backed colonial project seeking international legitimacy, into a messianic colonial enterprise that thrives on perpetual war. The growing use of religious rhetoric and the enlistment of God into the logic of war underscore this systemic change.
On Sunday, Washington joined Israel's war on Iran as it carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Donald Trump described the strikes as 'very successful'.
Iranian officials confirmed that parts of nuclear sites were struck, including Fordow, the secretive Iranian nuclear enrichment facility buried half a kilometre under a mountain near the city of Qom.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called a "bold decision" by Trump to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, saying it would "change history."
Following the US strikes, Netanyahu now faces a profound internal challenge. His secular opposition, who once backed his military ventures, are questioning why they must sacrifice their quality of life for the sake of endless conflict.
At the same time, Netanyahu is eroding the democratic space for the Jewish public in order to maintain the momentum of his militarised agenda. The internal front, not Iran, may become his toughest battlefield.
One of the most bizarre but telling decisions has been the imposed restrictions of Israeli citizens' freedom of movement, including the closure of Ben Gurion Airport for outbound travel, coupled with a warning from the National Security Council discouraging reentry via Jordan or Egypt.
Although flights still depart from Israel, they are largely reserved for tourists and foreign residents, while citizens are effectively trapped. This move has an unmistakable internal political logic: it disproportionately impacts middle-class opposition voters who can afford long-term travel abroad, while Likud's working-class base, largely from the periphery, remains unaffected.
Moving money
Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the war on Gaza - and even earlier, during Israel's judicial overhaul - many Israelis have opted to move money overseas, with a financial services firm reporting in March a 50 percent increase in the number of Israelis seeking to exchange and transfer money overseas.
Since October 2023, there has reportedly been a seven-fold rise in money transfers from Israel to other countries, with around $5.6bn moved out of the country that year alone.
For Netanyahu, these financial shifts must be alarming. For years, he has championed the idea that Israel could only maintain its highly equipped military through a strong economy. Yet his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners contribute little in this regard, while his messianic allies push for more wars and territorial expansion.
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Ironically, the segments of society that sustain the Israeli economy are the ones most opposed to Netanyahu's government. But they have not opposed his wars: rather, they continue to support Israel's military actions, while attempting to preserve a western standard of living.
Their inability - or refusal - to critically examine the Zionist ethos that taught them the world is inherently antisemitic, and that they must live by the sword, has allowed Netanyahu and his allies to exploit their economic power. In doing so, they've helped accelerate Israel's descent into a messianic state, emboldening racist policies and a Jewish supremacist ideology.
This is Netanyahu's vision for Israel: an ethno-religious, free-market state in permanent conflict with its neighbours, sowing destruction wherever it extends its reach
This dynamic is now visible amid the conflict with Iran, with multiple documented cases where Jewish Israelis have denied Palestinian citizens - and even foreign workers - access to bomb shelters during missile attacks.
This is Netanyahu's vision for Israel: an ethno-religious, free-market state in permanent conflict with its neighbours, sowing destruction wherever it extends its reach, while actively destabilising the surrounding region. Ironically, this echoes Israel's critiques of Iran.
Those Israelis who do understand the consequences of this war are already feeling them. The financial impacts range from damage to private property, to the broader repercussions of shutting down Israel's civilian economy and transitioning to an emergency economy, in which only essential businesses and institutions continue to operate.
On one hand, this creates economic uncertainty and mounting concern; on the other, it is happening under psychological pressure and a genuine fear of Iranian missile attacks.
Temporary stability
Although the Israeli economy continues to show resilience, Israeli analysts are warning that this stability is temporary. If Israel does not return to its doctrine of short, decisive wars, its financial resources will be depleted, and the economy will suffer long-term damage.
While the number of Iranian missiles that have successfully struck Israeli territory is relatively small, each impact brings serious consequences, rendering entire residential blocks uninhabitable. In the Israeli context, where the real-estate market is among the most expensive in the world, even limited damage carries outsized economic implications.
On a personal level, I can attest to a real and unfamiliar fear of Iranian missiles - a fear that neither Palestinian citizens of Israel nor Jewish Israelis have experienced before. It is producing widespread panic and deep concern.
The Turkish public asks: After Israel's attack on Iran, are we next? Read More »
Many families are now homeless, yet still saddled with mortgage debt. So when reports emerged of Israelis attempting to flee to Cyprus via private yachts, it came as no surprise.
The fantasy of sipping espresso in Tel Aviv while Gaza burns has collapsed. Living in a messianic state that wages perpetual war carries psychological and financial costs, even for those who once enjoyed its benefits.
There is now a widespread belief that Netanyahu will not stop with Iran. Escalations involving Pakistan or Turkey are no longer far-fetched. Israeli think-tanks are already laying the groundwork to justify future confrontations with Ankara, portraying them as inevitable.
To the rational observer, this is madness. But this is the reality of Israel today: a state that has dragged the global economy into its war games, ignited regional tensions, and invoked God to justify destruction. Secular Israelis who supported Netanyahu's wars now have the privilege of planning their escape, while Palestinians continue to pay the price - not only for Israeli policy, but for the West's enduring complicity in legitimising it.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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