Israel's hawkish military and politicians are fond lately of talking about restoring the nation's 'deterrent capability'.
By deterrent capability they mean a fear among the enemy of a response so devastating that launching an attack is not worthwhile. Many Israelis believe it is this fear that has historically enabled Israel to survive among 200 million hostile Arabs.
The calls are growing stronger following the capture of Israeli soldiers by Palestinian militants and Hezbollah, which has laid bare that the Israeli army is vulnerable.
To use another favourite army phrase, it is essential 'to exact a high price' in order to restore the 'deterrent capability'. This attitude goes towards explaining the apparent heavy-handedness of the past week's actions, culminating in yesterday's attack on Beirut airport.
'The attack in the north [by Hezbollah] was a big operational gain for Hezbollah and a resounding failure for Israel Defence Forces,' wrote Amos Harel, military analyst for Haaretz newspaper.
From this perspective, Israel's response is a long-overdue flexing of its muscles.