Let's Talk About Israel's "Rising Lion" Operation: Unraveling the Begin Doctrine
The Origins and Ideology of Israel's Foundational Dogma
Israel's latest bombing campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities is none other than Operation "Rising Lion." Since June 13, 2025, Israeli fighter jets and drones have been repeatedly striking nuclear sites and military bases in Iran, causing a significant number of casualties among high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists. According to the Israeli Defense Minister, it's a preemptive strike due to concerns over Iran's advanced nuclear program.
But this isn't the first time Israel has launched an attack on a neighboring country's nuclear ambitions. This time-honored approach can be traced back to the early 1980s and is known as the Begin Doctrine.
Operation Opera: A Precursor
June 7, 1981: Eight Israeli F-16s, escorted by others, stealthily flew towards Iraq. Their target: two nuclear reactors near Baghdad, known as Osirak. Israeli intelligence had grown fearful that this reactor was part of Iraq's nuclear weapons program. Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, even reportedly placed a target marker, ensuring the fighter jets could bomb the facility successfully. As a result, the facility was destroyed, crushing Iraq's nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin justified this preemptive strike as an "act of anticipatory self-defense," declaring that Israel would "not allow an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against the Israeli people." The Begin Doctrine had arrived. While the attack drew widespread international criticism, Israel deemed it a significant success. And it wouldn't be the last of its kind.
Operation Orchard: A Decade Later
September 6, 2007: In a remote location in the Syrian desert, Israeli special forces awaited the chance to strike a suspicious building. Reports later suggested they guided bombs onto their target using laser markers. Bombs from at least four Israeli Air Force planes then flattened the mysterious box-shaped building in eastern Syria, confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be a nuclear reactor built by Syria, known as Al-Kibar.
The Begin Doctrine had reared its head again, with then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert citing it. The reactor, which reportedly received assistance from North Korea, could have produced weapons-grade plutonium once operational. But it never got that far. Israel officially acknowledged the operation in 2018. "The message of the 2007 attack is that Israel will not accept the development of a capability that threatens the existence of the State of Israel. That was the message in 1981, in 2007, and it's the message to our enemies for the future," said then Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
The Begin Doctrine serves as the foundation for Israel's actions at Osirak and Al-Kibar, as well as the current Iranian operations. In all three cases, military strikes were deployed to prevent adversaries from developing a functional nuclear weapon. However, Israel's enemies have adapted, with Amos Yadlin, former Israeli intelligence chief, warning years ago that "Israel's foes have learned from the attacks on reactors in Iraq and Syria and have increased the challenges for potential attacks." Iran has dispersed its nuclear program across multiple sites, some deeply buried, such as the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, making the Begin Doctrine's task more difficult than ever.
So, what's the real deal with the Begin Doctrine? It's a strategic principle that's been embedded in Israel's national security policy for decades. The doctrine legitimizes preventative military strikes against regional countries pursuing nuclear weapons, aiming to neutralize potential threats before they become existential. The Begin Doctrine has played a significant role in shaping Israel's military operations against Iraq, Syria, and Iran's nuclear programs and reflects Israel's firm stance on regional nuclear threats.
The Community policy and the employment policy of Israel should consider the implications of the Begin Doctrine, a strategic principle that has been deeply rooted in Israel's national security policy for decades. This policy legitimizes preemptive military strikes against regional countries pursuing nuclear weapons, aiming to neutralize potential threats before they become existential. Politics, general news, and war-and-conflicts sections should follow the developments of Israel's military operations influenced by the Begin Doctrine, particularly in relation to Iran's ongoing nuclear program.
