When they believe that they face an existential threat, military planners often consider options which would otherwise be considered crazy. Look at mutually as

When they believe that they face an existential threat, military planners often consider options which would otherwise be considered crazy. Look at mutually assured destruction, for example... (Whether Israel actually does face an existential threat is irrelevant here; the fact that they believed they faced such a threat from their Arab neighbours explains their actions, regardless of whether that belief was correct.)