In 1981, Israel made a bold decision, under the leadership of Menachem Begin that changed the Middle East for decades to come. It also served as a fierce precedent for what Israel would do to any of its hostile neighbors if they approached the point of creating an atomic bomb to threaten Israel.
Saddam Hussein did not hide his intentions when he began the Tammuz-17 project. Even the very name of the project projected the sinister nature of what he was planning. Iraq under Saddam Hussein was hostile with its neighbors from the get-go. The Iran – Iraq war would turn into a terrible quagmire in which both sides brought ruthless firepower on each other.
But ultimately, Saddam Hussein would fall following his invasion of Kuwait. He had gone too far by threatening to control the oil in the Middle East via his invasion of Kuwait and threatening of Saudi Arabia. The United States, under the leadership of George H. Bush made it perfectly clear that Iraq would not stay in Kuwait. Iraq had time to step back from the precipice. But Saddam Hussein stood his ground for around 4 months until the deadline that the US set for him to withdraw. The United States led the attack and the Persian Gulf War began in January 1991.
The New World Order was announced by George W. Bush and James Baker as they pushed for an international force to enforce orderliness in the world while the Soviet Union was rapidly unravelling in Eastern Europe. The Persian Gulf War became one of the most one-sided wars in history and Iraq was swiftly defeated and turned back. Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a ditch in a small town, deposed and stripped of power.
The tremendous accomplishment of the Israeli Air Force in 1981 and the United States successful war in 1991 against Saddam Hussein both had a profound impact on stabilizing the Middle East. Bullies only understand force and action.
Israel averted a nuclear Holocaust in 1981 and endured the critics who claimed that they had gone too far. But Israel had learned the lesson then as they have learned today to take the threats of its enemies seriously. Netanyahu has made this abundantly clear whenever he speaks about why he never takes his eyes off of Iran. But his mentor in dealing with terrorism as a Prime Minister is Menachem Begin, an old friend of his father, Benzion Netanyahu, from pre-State of Israel days.