Had Hezbollah succeeded in attacking the suburbs of Tel Aviv and other areas in central Israel, Israel might have had to launch a major retaliatory attack on Lebanon. After all, Hezbollah is Lebanon.

It is in complete control of the country, and Israel would have been justified in declaring war on that nation. It also would have been justified in destroying the nation’s infrastructure that has dual uses — both military and civilian. (RELATED: MORGAN MURPHY: Democrats: The Party of War)

By preemptively attacking Hezbollah’s rocket launchers, the Israel Defense Forces thwarted much of Hezbollah’s attack and precluded it from reaching its intended targets in central Israel. This may not bring about peace, but it is likely to forestall the kind of regional war that Hamas desperately wants.

Israel has used preemption as a military tactic throughout its history, most dramatically in 1967 when it took out the air forces of Egypt and Syria while the planes were still on the ground. Prime Minister Menachem Begin preemptively destroyed Iraq’s nuclear program and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert preemptively destroyed Syria’s nuclear program. These actions were not only militarily and legally justified, but they saved........

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