One is the outbreak of another war between Israel and its neighbors.Â- A reminder of this danger has come from events that began when Israel said it shot down an Iranian drone that had entered its airspace.Â- Israeli F-16s then attacked a command center in Syria, during which Syrian air defenses downed one of the Israeli warplanes (a rare event for Israel).Â- Israel subsequently launched a much more widespread set of aerial attacks within Syria.Â- The Israelis have conducted scores of attacks in Syria over the last five years, but this most recent assault may have been the largest Israeli attack there since the 1980s. A new war involving Israel would surely also involve Lebanese Hezbollah.Â- There is no indication that Hezbollah seeks such a war.Â- The group has incurred significant costs by participating in fighting within Syria and has many wounds to lick.Â- Its leaders still have regrets about the brinksmanship that last got Hezbollah entangled in a war with Israel.Â- Even though it could get in some hits with cross-border rocket fire, the group’s leaders know that in a new clash it would get badly bloodied by its militarily more capable foe.



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