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For the last year or so, the world has been on high alert that a war between Iran and Israel could start at any moment. In no small part, the tension was fueled by Israeli pronouncements that the country would launch airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities barring a complete shutdown of its program. But now, a series of developments have given analysts and observers hope that an immediate military confrontation may not be imminent. Here are the latest signs.
Disputes inside Israel. As The New York Times' James Risen reports today, a growing divide between political and military leaders in Israeli whether an attack should be carried out has reduced immediate fears. "The latest comments came from Yuval Diskin, the former chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, who on Friday said Mr. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak should not be trusted to determine policy on Iran," writes Risen. "He said the judgments of both men have been clouded by 'messianic feelings.' Mr. Diskin, who was chief of Shin Bet until last year, said an attack against Iran might cause it to speed up its nuclear program." Additionally, Israel's army chief of staff gave the impression that the Iran nuclear threat isn't quite as far along as others suggested.