Unnamed Western intelligence sources quoted by the UAE-owned Sky News Arabia indicate that Iran and Hezbollah plan to launch their retaliatory strike against Israel on Tisha B’av, the day of mourning for the destruction of the two Jewish temples, which begins this year at sunset on August 12 and ends on August 13 at nightfall.
The sources indicate that the choice of the day is due to several psychological and tactical considerations. It may aim to revive historical traumas for Jews of destruction and uprooting, thereby amplifying the psychological impact of the attack on Israeli society.
To Muslim audiences receptive to Iran and Hezbollah’s narrative, an attack on Tisha B’Av would signal that Israel is vulnerable to destruction, the way Jews have historically been, the sources add.
A large-scale attack on a day of religious significance may also exploit Israel’s lowered defenses and “increase the state of chaos,” the way Egypt did with its surprise attack on Yom Kippur in 1973, the sources add.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
