The agonizing story told by two Israeli airstrikes – David Ignatius/WaPost

“The Damascus operation illustrated what Israel’s military and intelligence services do most efficiently: strike their enemies in what amount to precise assassination plans. Their skill at these targeted killings was described by Ronen Bergman, an Israeli journalist for the New York Times, in his superb 2018 book, ‘Rise and Kill First.’

“‘Since World War II, Israel has assassinated more people than any other country in the Western world,’ Bergman wrote. By his reckoning, Israel had conducted at least 2,300 such operations as of 2018. The message was, he writes, ‘If you are an enemy of Israel, we will find you and kill you, wherever you are.'”

Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations – Wiki

How does the Israeli government decide who is “an enemy of Israel” and who will be assassinated? Are there checks and balances? Are US officials consulted? Does the threat of assassination deter political criticism of Israeli policy and military conduct both inside and outside of its borders?

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