Book Review
Israel Strikes Iran: Operation Rising Lion by Edwin Black
150 pages │ Dialog Press │ July 2025
JERUSALEM – Edwin Black, bestselling author of IBM and the Holocaust, has turned his investigative lens to Israel’s landmark pre-emptive operation against Iran’s nuclear program in Israel Strikes Iran: Operation Rising Lion – The 20-Year Backstory. In a concise, 150-page analysis, Black traces Tehran’s decades-long effort to develop a nuclear arsenal aimed at Israel and documents how Israel’s leadership, faced with an existential threat, launched a decisive 12-Day War to neutralize that danger.
Black opens with detailed evidence of Iran’s clandestine uranium enrichment, drawing on declassified intelligence and IAEA reports. He then reconstructs Israel’s meticulous planning and diplomatic warnings, underscoring that Operation Rising Lion was not a rash gamble but a last resort to uphold the core doctrine of “Never Again.”
The strength of Black’s narrative lies in his sourcing. He leverages accounts from Mossad insiders, statements by Israeli military leaders, and interviews with defense analysts to paint a vivid picture of how airstrikes on Natanz, Fordow, and other facilities dismantled Iran’s “point of no return.” The book’s pacing mirrors a thriller, yet its footnotes and endnotes reveal rigorous scholarship befitting a New York Times bestselling historian.
Critics have lauded Black’s clarity and moral conviction. Rachel Ehrenfeld of the American Center for Democracy called the work “powerful, thrilling and expertly detailed,” praising its capacity to inform policymakers and the public alike. Black’s balanced approach highlights Israel’s engagement with international law and repeated efforts at diplomacy before resorting to force.
For a Zionist and pro-Israel readership, Israel Strikes Iran affirms the necessity of pre-emptive defense when confronted with genocidal rhetoric and asymmetric threats. It stands as both a warning to adversaries and a guide for allies on the limits of appeasement.
This article is based on verified information from Barnes & Noble, Dialog Bookshop, the Jewish Policy Center, and Google Books.