Is Israel ready for war with Hezbollah?

Whenever the great Shakespearean actor Sir Donald Wolfit had to exit the stage during a performance, he would always take a step back, showing the audience that he was reluctant to leave, before moving forward and departing into the wings on his left or right. The policy of the United States towards Israel and the war in Gaza has followed a similar series of forward and backward steps, with the Biden administration not leaving the stage, but eternally frustrated by the cuts and thrusts of Middle Eastern politics.

Another week has gone and little has been resolved to end a war which even Israel admits could last at least another six months. And now, perhaps more than at any time since Hamas caught Israel by surprise on 7 October, there are increasing fears in Washington that Israel might soon begin a full-scale war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.