Watan-The Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies (Madar) explains that Israel chose the name “A Nation Like a Lion” for its war against Iran, which began at dawn on June 13, 2025. The phrase is a direct quote from the Book of Numbers in the Torah.
According to Madar, this naming reflects Israel’s deliberate use of biblical and religious symbols in modern warfare, aiming to sacralize its military operations. Such symbolic appropriation also serves to reinforce its legitimacy in the collective imagination, granting the war political and moral acceptance within Israeli society.
Madar elaborates that in the Torah narrative, King Balak of Moab expresses concern about the advancing Israelites during their desert journey after the Exodus from Egypt. To counter this perceived threat, Balak seeks to hire Balaam—a spiritual figure described as capable of blessings and curses—to curse the people of Israel.
However, Balaam is visited by God in a dream and is forbidden to curse Israel, as they are described as a “blessed nation.” Despite repeated efforts by Balak, including sending more prestigious envoys, Balaam is only permitted to speak what is divinely inspired.
This story climaxes with a series of blessings toward Israel, the most prominent being:”Behold, a people rises like a lioness and lifts itself up like a lion; it shall not lie down until it devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.” This exact verse has been adopted as the title for Israel’s current war against Iran.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth notes that the choice of this biblical verse as the name for a military operation is no coincidence. It intentionally evokes themes of strength, vigilance, and offensive initiative—characteristics Israel seeks to project in its confrontation with Iran. The symbolism aligns with Israel’s military doctrine of deterrence and preemptive strike, even as it grapples with fatigue from the prolonged wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
As Israeli attacks in Iran continue into their 11th day, this symbolic framework supports the belief that the war must end with the complete and irreversible elimination of the Iranian threat.
Channel 7’s website also referenced the commentary of Rabbi David Moshe Wali, who lived around 250 years ago in Italy. His interpretation of this verse has historically circulated in both religious and military circles during wartime and is now being re-invoked with renewed symbolic relevance.
Madar continues by examining the historic relationship between Jewish religious texts and Israeli warfare, noting:”This is a nation of lions—each individual is brave, either by nature or through divine presence. What is the nature of lions? Sometimes they crouch, lie low, and appear weak. But suddenly, they rise up, strike, and devour anyone daring to hunt them.”
This use of biblical symbolism is not limited to the war’s name. It was accompanied by a ritual act: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly inserted a written prayer into the cracks of the Western Wall on the eve of the preemptive strike. The note quoted the very Torah verse used for the operation’s name. Netanyahu repeated this act again on Sunday, saying he returned to offer a prayer of gratitude and success.
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