Israelis braced for a potential attack by Iran as they headed into the weekend, amid threats by Iranian leaders to retaliate against Israel for a strike that killed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week.
Many travelers found themselves stranded by canceled flights, as several American and European airlines suspended service to Israel through early August, though the Israeli government insisted that Israel remains safe for travel.
Rumors flew of potential Iranian plans — including a missile strike several times larger than the 300 projectiles launched at Israel in April, almost all of which were intercepted.
The Jerusalem Post reported speculation that Iran would attack on the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, a day of mourning on which the destruction of the First and Second Temples is commemorated by fasting:
Western intelligence sources told Sky News Arabia that they had evidence Iran plans to attack Israel on Tisha B’Av in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which begins on August 12 and ends on August 13, the site reported on Friday.
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The report indicates that there is an emotional and psychological impact in targeting Israel on the holy day of mourning.
The report claimed that Jewish Israelis may feel particularly vulnerable on this day – adding an additional layer of psychological torment.
The State of Israel itself is sometimes referred to by Jews as the “Third Temple,” an association that Iran is likely exploiting as a form of psychological warfare.
The Abu Ali Express news service, which provides reports on Arabic-language media, urged followers not to “swallow every frog” that “Iranian channels and those affiliated with the Shiite axis” had circulated on social media.
But there were also reports of Israeli airstrikes on the Dabaa’ airfield in Syria, which is used by Hezbollah.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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