Just hours before the strikes on Iran, Netanyahu placed a note in the Western Wall in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, quoting a verse from the Torah that inspired the name of Israel’s military offensive, “Operation Rising Lion.” The note was publicly revealed on Friday morning. The verse, taken from Numbers 23:24, reads: - *"Behold, a people that rises up as a lioness, and as a lion lifts himself up; he shall not lie down until he eats the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."* The passage comes from a prophecy by Balaam, a non-Israelite seer who — instead of cursing the Israelites as intended — foretells their violent strength and dominance. The metaphor frames Israel as a lion that won’t rest until it has destroyed its enemies.