The Samson Option

It had all of the makings of a normal day in class, listening to the professor lecture about the early years of Israeli Foreign Policy. During the lecture, however, the professor interjected a side comment that immediately received the undivided attention of the class. He used the words "Samson Option" to describe Israel's desperate situation at its birth. We immediately asked what the Samson Option was, and he gave us an explanation. There is a contingency plan, he said, where if it comes to the point where all hope is lost for Israel, they will push the button and take all of their enemies with them into the abyss. The plan is based off of the Israelite Samson in the Bible, who when he was at the end of his strength, pulled down the building he was in to kill his Philistine captors along with himself. We asked if the Samson Option was still a contingency option today. The professor, without any hesitation, said "yes". We asked for elaboration and he said how Israel's nuclear arsenal is in place to both deter enemy attack and to destroy their enemies utterly if any of them dared to launch against Israel. He brought up Iran when talking about this, saying if the Iranians launched a missile with a non-conventional warhead against Israel, Israel would retaliate with all the terrifying force of its nuclear arsenal. He stressed that this is a last-ditch contingency, contemplated only when all hope is lost and the Jewish state is ensured with extinction. At that time, he implied, the order would be given, the missiles would be launched, and Israel would take its enemies with her to the grave. I sat in that classroom contemplating this long after the professor had turned back to his scheduled lecture. The fact that such a contingency exists is testament to the bleak situation Israel faces on a day to day basis. It is not surprising for a country that was born out of the ashes of the Holocaust. Ringed on all sides by enemies, confronted with a growing power in the East who's pursuit of nuclear weapons is based on the desire to "Wipe them off of the map", Israel faces the possibility of its destruction with every rising of the sun. I have no doubt that if that terrible day were to come, Israel would push the button with no hesitation. Having gone through it once, the Jews will never again allow themselves to be herded meekly into the gas chambers. If such a day dawns again, they will pull their enemies in with them and slam the door shut. This is the reality, with all of the niceties and flowery language stripped away. We confront the stark truth with this contingency. Israel will do all in its considerable power to prevent another Holocaust, but if it happens again, Israel will make sure that they do not leave this world alone.