In the past two weeks, Barack Obama has spoken at a Washington, D.C. synagogue, discussed U.S.-Israel relations with a prominent American Jewish journalist, and given an interview on Israeli television. Despite the president’s ostensible goal of demonstrating his commitment to the U.S.-Israel alliance, David M. Weinberg is convinced that the real purpose of his rhetorical offensive is quite different:

Barack Obama’s moralizing appeal to Jewish and Zionist “values” is actually a trick. If you pitch your political views as “values” and your opponents’ position as a breach of values, then your threat of punishment suddenly seems noble. . . .

I don’t know whether the trick will work for the deal with Iran, but it is clear to me that Obama is attempting to soften up domestic opposition to a policy shift whereby the administration will effectively abandon Israel at the United Nations. Obama more than hinted at that in his Israeli television talk. . . .

I say to Rabbi Obama . . . : Spare us your honest exhortations. Enjoy your self-satisfying centrist values, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’re doing Israel any favors by declaring the parameters of what [territorial] withdrawals and other Israeli foreign and defense policies “must be.” I say no thanks to your tough love. I encourage you to “confront your [own] values” and re-engage Israeli democracy on a more realistic and respectful basis.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.