PARIS — "It is reasonable to believe in miracles," David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, once said. Today's Israelis do not seem to believe in miracles. Instead, more than ever before, they are obsessed by nightmares, foremost among them, the prospect of a nuclear Iran.
To prevent a regime imbued with an absolute ideology from gaining possession of the "absolute weapon" is Israel's paramount priority. Everything must be done, even a unilateral military strike, to prevent or at least delay Iran's acquisition of such a weapon.
This Israeli conviction on what it considers an existential issue stands in stark contrast with the fatalism that otherwise dominates Israelis' thinking about themselves and their relations with the Palestinians. How is this fatalism manifesting itself, where does it come from, and what can be done to transcend it?
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.