Secondly, it is another sign, if any more were needed, that Netanyahu is deadly serious about launching a preventive strike against Iran in anticipatory self-defense. Dishkin’s riposte followed criticism from other Israeli security officials who are concerned about the possible fallout from an Israeli military strike. Last week, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, publicly contradicted Netanyahu’s assessment that Iran’s leaders could not be trusted with a nuclear weapon by opining that they were “very rational” and probably would decide not to build a nuclear weapon.

Last year, Meir Dagan, the former head of the Mossad (who was also retired by Netanyahu), warned that an Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities would be “stupid” because it would not permanently destroy Iran’s nuclear program and would trigger an unpredictable war. But Netanyahu remains more focused on the dangers of a possible war with a nuclear-armed Iran, a scenario that he has characterized as an unacceptable existential threat to Israel. Whatever Israel eventually decides to do, the United States should back up its ally and closely coordinate policies to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon.