Israel takes name of Iran operation from Bible verse
Jerusalem: Israel has called its milit operation against Iran “Rising Lion”, taking the name from a biblical verse that promises a victorious future for a powerful Israel.
The operation’s name is inspired by a passage from the Book of Numbers (23:24), which reads: “Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eats the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.” This verse is part of a prophecy by Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, foretelling the rise and power of Israel.
A symbolic moment occurred Thursday, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was photographed placing a handwritten prayer note in the crevice of the Western Wall — the holiest site in Judaism — a gesture many interpreted as a precursor to milit action. His office later released the photo of the note, which read: “The nation will rise like a lion.”
The operation “Rising Lion” comes after a series of Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear and milit facilities, reportedly killing key commanders and scientists. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has denounced the attacks, calling them “satanic.”
