For the second time in months, Israelis are sitting, waiting, and twiddling their thumbs, as Iran and its proxies have promised to exact revenge on the Jewish state in response to the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
Where and when this grand act of revenge will occur is proving challenging to estimate. Western intelligence sources told Sky News Arabia that they had evidence that Iran plans to attack Israel on Tisha B’Av next week. Other reports quote US and Israeli security officials as saying that the attack may come as early as today, leaving Israelis in limbo.
This is a genuinely worrying time for Israelis. Under normal circumstances, people could expect to look to their leader to provide strength, guidance, and cohesion, but that is proving to be a damp squib. So, if we cannot look to the present for inspiration, what about the past?
Sunday marked Jabotinsky Day, a national holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the life and vision of the Zionist leader. But what, if anything, can be learned from the former chief of Revisionist Zionism during these trying times?