For over a decade now, Israeli leaders have consistently, and repeatedly, warned anyone who would listen about the dangers of a nuclear Iranian regime. Ironically, it has become clear that these vocal warnings have created the opposite of our desired effect and lessened the likelihood that we can employ military might to defend our country. History has taught us that it is best not to telegraph our plans, especially if we plan on using military action when necessary to protect the citizens of Israel.

Most people are aware of Iran’s nuclear program and the threat it poses to not only Israel, but to Europe and the United States as well. Though the last few years have seen some sharp change in the political scenery of the Middle East, Iran’s ambitions have remained stagnant. It is now obvious to all that the Iranian leadership harbors dreams of grandeur and hopes to revisit the glory days of the Persian Empire – this time as a world-dominating nuclear power.

While some foreign governments have attempted to disrupt Iran’s efforts, try as they might, those attempts have done little to hinder their nuclear ambitions. The so called “crippling sanctions” have barely inflicted a paper cut on the Ayatollahs, and the famous Stuxnet virus that may or may not have originated in Israel has only mildly succeeded in setting back Iran’s sinister ambitions.

While the threat of a nuclear Iran weighs heavy on the minds of the Israeli people, the prospect of an enemy military with impending capabilities for a nuclear weapon is not something they haven’t seen before. In 1981, and again in 2007 theOsirak nuclear reactor in Iraq and Al-Kibar in Syria left Israel no choice but to take action upon itself to neutralize the potential existential threat to the Jewish State.

Speculation aside, the big question remains. What use is there in talking about the actions that Israel may or may not take with regards to Iran’s nuclear reactor? If what many believe will be an inevitable attack on Iran’s nuclear facility does occur, the biggest difference between that operation and the ones on Osirak and Al-Kibarwill be the absence of the element of surprise. In both prior instances, the attacks were carried out in complete secrecy and came as an absolute shock to the target. There were no TV news headlines on the topic in the months leading up to the attack and you did not read newspaper articles about UN consultations on possible sanctions and IAEA reports. What you did see, however, was complete media silence on the matter from the Israeli government.

As each day passes, and the world toils in speculation regarding what Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insists is a harmless and peaceful nuclear facility, Israel must not take the same “wait and see” approach. We cannot afford to sit silently for long. Though there are inherent and obvious risks, when it comes to matters of its own safety and security, the Jewish people have already paid too great a price for not taking a wicked man at his word to annihilate our people.

It is vitally important that we understand that the more we talk about Iran, the less room we have for acting against Iran.  Many are aware of the famous axiom by US President Theodore Roosevelt that it is best to “speak softly and carry a big stick.”  In dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat, it would be wise for our leaders to take this one step further and not speak at all, while at the same time preparing to use the ‘big stick’ of the Israel Defense Forces.

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