With IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and Northern Command Chief Amir Baram on either side of him, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett toured Israel’s northern border Aug. 3. As is customary for prime ministers’ visits, he landed in a military helicopter and wore a suit despite the oppressive heat. 

The visit followed a tense weekend when an Israeli-managed ship was attacked July 29 off the coast of Oman. Two crew members, one British and one Romanian, were killed as a result of a drone strike. According to a report in the New York Times, several drones crashed and hit the ship. 

Although Iran and Israel have been at maritime war, this time the incident cost the lives of citizens of foreign countries friendly to Israel. Expectations of an Israeli response are high, especially since the prime minister claimed that his predecessor was not aggressive enough on security matters, most of all in facing the Iranian threat.

Bennett knows that the eyes of the world, especially regional leaders and the United States, are looking to him and his policy now. He understands that he faces a test not just before the Israeli public, but before Israel’s enemies, foremost among them Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, who are now testing the limits of the new government he heads.