In today's newspaper roundup, we are reviewing a group of opinion articles that deal with various issues, from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's use of intimidating rhetoric from Iran as the electoral competition heats up, to the controversy over the United States' need for weapons to control space and the extent of its willingness to wage wars in space, all the way to the lasting effect of grief on the human psyche, and why the passage of time does not guarantee recovery from the pain of loss.
We begin our tour with “The Guardian” newspaper, and an opinion article by Emma Graham Harrison and Julian Borger entitled “Netanyahu is pushing for an attack on Iran before the elections,” and it highlights reports about pressure exerted by the Israeli Prime Minister to move militarily against Tehran, coinciding with the escalation of the electoral competition, and his use of intimidation rhetoric about the Iranian threat in an attempt to influence voters’ choices.
The article indicates that Netanyahu has escalated his warning rhetoric and is reportedly putting pressure on the Israeli army to move against Iran, coinciding with a slight decline of his far-right coalition in opinion polls, in light of the tense elections being held today.
The article added that Netanyahu published an artificial intelligence-generated image showing a nuclear cloud destroying Tel Aviv, warning voters that not voting for him could expose them to annihilation, and wrote in a post on social media regarding the Iranian nuclear program: “Everyone who cares about his life and the lives of his family and loved ones should shake his hand before voting for the opposition.”
The article indicated that a dispute had broken out over the past few days between Netanyahu and the Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, regarding a military directive that might “ignite an immediate confrontation with Iran at a very sensitive time.” According to reports, Zamir requested that the directive be presented to him in writing, without revealing its details.
The article pointed out that Netanyahu denied the veracity of the report, and the Ministry of Defense later denied the existence of an intention to launch military operations against Iran. However, CNN reported that Netanyahu sought, during the past weeks, to persuade US President Donald Trump to launch an attack on Iran, leading to a renewal of the war that the two sides began in February.
Netanyahu's current warning, according to the article, contradicts the tone of victory that he adopted following the two wars launched against Iran last year and last spring. It is worth noting that he announced, in March, that the Israeli and American strikes had destroyed Iran's ability to enrich uranium and produce ballistic missiles. He also announced in 2025 the achievement of a "historic victory" over Iran whose impact will last for generations.
The article also cited a statement by retired General Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the opposition bloc and Netanyahu's most prominent potential competitor for the presidency of the government, in which he expressed his confidence in Zamir, saying: "We will not allow the Israeli army to be transformed into a tool in Netanyahu's campaign to remain in power."
The article explained that Netanyahu presented the elections as an existential issue, telling Channel 14, which plays a prominent role in supporting him within the Israeli media: “There is one basic issue here, which is our existence.” He also described the opposition bloc as the “left” allied with the Palestinians and enemies of the state, adding: “We see what is happening in Europe, that the alliance between the left and Islam may destroy the State of Israel.”
The article pointed to Netanyahu’s attempt to benefit from the support he enjoys from Trump, stressing his public support, which the US President renewed on Sunday, saying: “When you go to the polls, remember that Bibi is an exceptional warrior prime minister.” Israeli media reported that this renewed support came as a result of continuous pressure from Netanyahu’s office, but its impact on voters is still unclear, as Trump’s announcement, on October 18, of “full support” for him did not bring about any change. Appreciable in opinion polls.
The article concludes by noting that, a year ago, Netanyahu painted a bleak picture of Israel's future, in which it appeared to be an isolated state that might be forced to transform into a "Great Sparta" with a military nature, before he retracted this vision following sharp Israeli criticism. The article believes that his return to this rhetoric and methods of intimidation, especially after the unexpected electoral losses suffered by his far-right allies in Serbia and Brazil, raised questions about his ability to continue to remain in the political scene.
"American Space War"
We turn to the Washington Post newspaper and an opinion article by D. T. Thompson entitled “War in Space? The United States Must Be Prepared.” The writer begins by pointing out that American forces must be prepared to fight and win in every theater of military operations.
The writer says that US Air Force Secretary Troy Mink acknowledged last month, for the first time, that the United States possesses “weapons for space control,” designed to protect American satellites and deny adversaries the use of their space systems. This announcement was necessary and late, and should not have been surprising, as critics who described it as destabilizing misunderstand its purpose and the role of the American armed forces.
The writer adds that the mission of the US Army is focused on defending the country by land, sea, air, space and cyberspace, and this defense begins with deterrence, that is, convincing adversaries that the United States has the will and ability to defeat any attack and inflict devastating consequences on its attackers. When adversaries refrain from targeting US assets in space, because they realize that they will not win, the result is enhanced stability.
The writer points out that since the beginnings of the space age, satellites have played a vital role in national security, with the United States and the Soviet Union developing military and civil space systems in parallel, and their importance for American defense has increased over time, as the data they provide has come to serve political and military leaders, all the way to soldiers, sailors, pilots, space force members, and marines.
The benefits of space systems, according to the author, are not limited to military uses. Individuals in the United States and the world depend on satellite services that support public safety, emergency response, and economic activity. The Global Positioning System synchronizes the timing of communications networks and financial transactions, as well as running mapping and navigation applications. Smartphones also allow low-cost access to images, weather forecasts, and space information. The value of the global space economy exceeded $550 billion last year, with expectations to reach $1.8 trillion by 2017. 2035.
However, the writer believes that this widespread reliance creates weak points, and explains this by saying that the failure of space systems may lead to serious economic losses, as the loss of positioning services alone could cost a billion dollars a day, with the disruption of financial transactions, disruption of markets, electricity and communications networks, and flight schedules. The American army will also be forced to return to the methods of warfare of the twentieth century, based on large-scale campaigns, which are less accurate and more destructive, and lack sufficient information about the enemy’s locations, weak points, and offensive plans.
The writer says that the reality indicates that adversaries have been using space militarily for decades. In January 2007, China tested an anti-satellite missile launched from Earth, destroying a meteorological satellite and leaving more than three thousand pieces of orbital debris. Russia began testing these weapons in 1963, and conducted the most recent direct test announced in 2021. US intelligence estimates indicate that several countries are also testing weapons to control space and are working to deploy them.
Despite this, according to the writer, these countries claim that the deployment of space weapons undermines the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, but the treaty prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit, and does not explicitly address other weapons, including systems designed to attack satellites by electronic or non-nuclear means.
The author concludes his article by pointing out that the dangers of space war need serious discussion, especially reports of Russia developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon, but he said that the claim that current American weapons violate the treaty is incorrect, pointing out that if deterrence fails and the attack occurs, American forces must be prepared to fight and win, as he believes that defeat due to lack of preparation for a known threat is unacceptable, as space weapons possessed by opponents constitute a threat to American military personnel and the security of the United States.
Does grief persist even though time has passed since the loss of loved ones?
We conclude our tour with The Independent newspaper and a humane article by Matthew Saltmarsh entitled “What No One Tells You About Grief When Loss Is Unexpected.” The writer begins by referring to his personal experience after losing his wife, Georgina, to breast cancer. Six months after her passing, he contemplates the feelings of sadness and confusion that accompanied him, while he tried to make his way towards his future without her.
The writer says that specialists describe grief as “a journey punctuated by setbacks and ups and downs,” but the six months that have passed since he lost his wife, Georgina, aged 56, to breast cancer, seemed difficult because, according to his description, grief “has become more intense and less predictable, and the feelings of loss have not subsided. They still attack me at random times, then calm down before they return again. I still feel confusion, guilt, and sadness, and the common saying that time is the balm for wounds has not yet been fulfilled.” Is six months enough to overcome What happened?
The writer says that he thought that cancer, strokes, and heart attacks belonged to the elderly and others, and that our role in confronting them would come later, and “the fifties should have been a period of freedom, after our children began to become independent, and we began to think about retirement and a final place of stability, but we found ourselves facing death.” A few weeks after Georgina’s death, her older brother, Stuart, died after suffering from a disease that debilitated him.
The writer points out that the first days were blurry, in which shock and disbelief mixed with deep sadness, while they were obscured by calls, messages, work, and administrative procedures. He says that when the burdens decreased, “sadness became like the amputation of part of my body, a lingering feeling that something fundamental had gone wrong.” Sometimes it was triggered by a place, smell, sight, or song, and it turned into severe abdominal pain. He also suffered from a sleep disorder for months, before it gradually improved.
The writer says that anger crept into himself, asking: “Why us? And why now? How could my wife, a caring mother of three daughters between the ages of 19 and 23 years old, leave, who still desperately need her, while cruel people live long, healthy lives?” This was the most severe test of the writer’s faith.
