Benjamin Netanyahu is following in the footsteps of Menachem Begin, who was the first Israeli prime minister to order an attack on an enemy's nuclear facility back in 1981 when he targeted Iraq's nuclear reactor. Since then, Israel has maintained the Begin Doctrine, which asserts that the country cannot allow its adversaries to possess nuclear weapons. For Netanyahu, the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions has been a major concern. According to a former senior aide, Netanyahu has been discussing the possibility of attacking Iran for decades, and now it appears that his opportunity has arrived.
Source: The Economist
