The Time to Act is Now!

The face of evil - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

I am simultaneously in a state of euphoria and dread at the prospect of toppling the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Euphoria, because of the imminent demise of a state sponsor of terror that is either directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jews worldwide. Euphoria, too, at the thought that a people enslaved by a religious fanaticism - one that has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of its fellow citizens since those fanatics took power in 1979—may finally be freed.

But I also dread the heavy toll it may take to get us there. Iran is not going to go down quietly. It will use every means available to survive, including the willingness to sacrifice life and limb for what its leaders believe is a righteous cause in the eyes of God. They have already promised to attack Israel if the United States attacks them. How revealing that their first target of retaliation is not the U.S., which would be attacking them, but a country that would not be attacking them at all.

I have no idea how many missiles Iran possesses. But my guess is that if its leaders believe the regime is about to fall, they will attempt to accomplish the one goal they have repeatedly declared to the world—as a final offering to God before they go under. That could mean heavy casualties for Israel, in all parts of the country. I dread that happening in the extreme!

It appears that a U.S. military attack is imminent... 

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Why Judaism?

Lebanese ex-patriot - Rawan Osman (Orato)

There are two kinds of people who have always fascinated me. Although they are, in many ways, opposites, they are also strikingly similar. At least in one crucial sense. Both are willing to leave the warm cocoon of social relationships in which they were raised and enter a life radically different from the one they knew.

The first group consists of those who choose to abandon the religious customs and practices in which they were raised. Freedom from religious obligation often comes at a steep price: the loss of family bonds and friendships. It means entering a world that is unfamiliar, even strange. A world in which they have not yet formed meaningful relationships. I cannot imagine the difficulty of such a choice. The pain of loss must be unbearable, as must the loneliness, at least at first. And yet, there seems to be an uptick in people who are doing exactly that.

But the same phenomenon exists in reverse. What motivates someone to abandon a life free of religious obligation? Or to exchange one set of obligations for another. Especially if they were once devout in one religion and now face an entirely new religious framework?

I have written before about those who lose their faith and walk away from religious obligation. But I am equally fascinated by those who move in the opposite direction. Why would someone raised in Islam decide to convert to Judaism? What is it about Judaism that convinces them it is true and thereby to abandon  the religion in which they were raised?

That question was answered beautifully by Rawan Osman, a Muslim woman who describes herself as a ‘recovered antisemite’. She is now converting to Judaism. I am awed by her perceptive response. Rather than paraphrase her words, here is what she said in a Times of Israel featured blog post:

A secular Jew asked me why I was converting to Judaism.

Why would a rational, educated woman choose to join an ancient people and embrace traditions that seem to belong to another age? Did I truly believe those traditions were still relevant?

My answer is simple: Judaism survived because of its traditions, not despite them...

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The Iranian Revolution

London rally yesterday in solidarity with protesters in Iran (Jerusalem Post)

What does it mean to be a Sonei HaShem - an enemy of God? If I recall correctly this was a phrase that not long ago was used by some Charedi leaders, or their representatives in the Knesset, to describe the Israeli government’s attempt to draft Charedim into the IDF.

I don’t think it is a stretch to say that being labeled an ‘enemy of God’ is among the worst accusations a human being can face in the religious world. I found it especially disturbing to hear Jews use this charge against fellow Jews in the context of mandatory conscription - something a nation under constant existential threat deems necessary for survival.

Be that as it may, we do not live in a time when such accusations can be acted upon. Even if they were somehow proven true. 

But this phrase is not exclusive to Judaism.

It is now being used by high-ranking officials in Iran to justify a brutal crackdown against protesters. Under Iranian law, the charge of being an enemy of God is serious enough to warrant execution, hanging, or permanent internal exile. 

Nontheless, the revolution continues. 

And contrary to the long-held conventional wisdom about the futility of internal revolution against Iran’s brutal theocratic dictatorship, that is exactly what these protests in Iran have become. .

For decades, so-called experts on the Middle East insisted this could never occur. They argued that Iran’s dictatorship, enforced by the ruthless Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), would crush any popular uprising. As it had in the past. And indeed, previous attempts were drowned in blood. Justified in the name of Islam. The consensus was that mass executions would permanently deter future revolts.

The same experts also claimed - often with breathtaking hubris -that any external attack by Israel or the United States would be met with fanatical, blood-soaked resistance driven by religious fervor. Iran never hid this threat. They repeated it endlessly.

That narrative collapsed last year.

Israel and the United States successfully executed what has become known as the 12-Day War, devastating much of Iran’s military hierarchy and infrastructure; as well as setting back its nuclear program by years. Iran could no longer rely on the militias it had armed and trained around Israel, many of which were destroyed or severely weakened - directly and indirectly - by Israel during its war with Hamas.

Iran’s much-promised harsh retaliation against Israel and the U.S. proved pathetic, barely qualifying as a response at all. And yet the regime continues to rattle that saber even as its own country appears on the verge of collapse.

The Islamic Republic of Iran - once was widely regarded as the most dangerous actor in the Middle East - if not the world - immune to destruction either from within or without - may very well see its downfall very soon. And it may come from the Iranian people themselves, who have now after 46 years  finally stood up and said, “We can’t take it anymore.”

That has resulted in the following.

According to human rights organizations, more than 500 protesters have already been executed. Body bags reportedly lie in the streets of Tehran. The uprising has spread to cities across the country. The yearning for freedom is not being extinguished by bullets. In fact, the more the government kills, the more the people rise up.

Although the Iranian government has shut down the internet for days in order to hide the revolution from the world, images are somehow filtering through. Images of huge crowds filling the streets in cities all over the country, Iranian police firing at protesters, burning  government buildings, burning mosques, and body bags lying all over. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime grows ever more belligerent, determined to crush the rebellion no matter how many lives it takes. Justifying it all by labeling protesters “enemies of God.”

The question now is whether the world will have the courage to help the Iranian people in their hour of need.

Europeans – unsurprisingly - seem content to sit this one out...

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The United States, Israel, and Christian Nationalism

Neo-antisemite and Christian Nationalist, Tucker Carlson (Mishpacha)

Let me once again restate the obvious. There are few commentators with the brilliance, education, and eloquence to analyze current events than is the University of Chicago and Yale educated Jonathan Rosenblum. That he writes for Mishpacha – a magazine not known for placing great value on secular education - does nothing to diminish his erudition. His work would earn approval from readers of far more scholarly publications. Anyone who believes a serious college education is a waste of time is, quite simply, a grobbeh am ha’aretz (look it up). But I digress.

Jonathan rarely disappoints. He does the research, and as a result, refuting him without resorting to tired partisan tropes is nearly impossible. Facts are facts, and when he makes a claim, he backs it up. He does so again in his latest column, in which he systematically dismantles several common lies about Israel. Lies routinely promoted by antisemites and most recently amplified by neo-antisemite Tucker Carlson.

What makes Carlson’s falsehoods especially dangerous is that he is a hugely popular podcaster with millions of followers. He platforms fringe antisemites as so-called ‘experts’, lending legitimacy to claims that are both demonstrably false and deeply malignant. As a result, these lies are gaining unprecedented traction. And they demand clear, unassailable refutation that exposes both their falsity and their antisemitic roots...

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Is it Over for Iran?

Iran is burning 

Lorenzo Peter Berra - one of the great philosophical minds of the 20th century - once said, 'It ain’t over till it’s over'.

That sentiment captures how I am watching events unfold in Iran: with hope, prayer, and deep trepidation.

Iran is experiencing its largest uprising since the 1979 Islamic Revolution—the revolution that brought radical Islamists to power and imposed a brutal theocratic regime that still rules with a deadly iron fist. Dissent is not tolerated. Violations of Sharia law can carry the death penalty, as tragically demonstrated when a couple of years ago  a woman was executed for refusing to wear a hijab.

For 46 years, Iranians have lived under a government supported by the devout and feared by every other Iranian yearning to be free. Brave protesters have risen before, only to be crushed—often executed. That is how the regime has survived.

Iran’s tyranny has not been confined to its own borders. Its openly declared goal is the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, beginning with the destruction of Israel. It labels the United States the ‘Great Satan’ for defending the ‘Littler Satan’. Israel. And they have relentlessly pursued nuclear weapons to that end.

After years of sanctions, in 2015 the Obama administration bet on a deal that would remove sanctions in exchange for delaying nuclear development for 10 years. A deal that allowed Iran to continue funding and arming terror proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and militias in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. All aimed at Israel. Naively assuming the regime would mellow in the interim.  That illusion ended when the new US administration scrapped the deal and harsh sanctions were reinstated.

That uneasy status quo collapsed on October 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded Israel, brutally massacred over1,200 innocent civilians, and abducted over 250  more.

That day changed everything...

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The Trouble With Vance

Tucker Carlson hosting Holocaust revisionist Ian Carroll (JTA)

I take it back. Not long ago, I agreed with those who argued that Tucker Carlson is the most dangerous antisemite in the world. I no longer believe that.

Not because Carlson has changed. His antisemitism is as ugly as ever. He continues to platform antisemites, Holocaust revisionists, and conspiracy theorists on his podcast, praising them. As he did most recently about antisemitic Holocaust revisionist, Ian Carroll. Whom he described as a “diligent researcher” sincerely interested in the truth.

No, I haven’t changed my view of Carlson at all.

What I have changed my mind about is who poses the greater danger. And that, in my view, is the current vice president of the United States, J.D. Vance.

My initial impression of Vance was positive. His memoir Hillbilly Elegy, his stated support for Israel despite isolationist instincts, and even his personal life all suggested a man far removed from racial or religious bigotry. That is why his repeated defenses of figures like Carlson - when challenged about antisemitism - are so troubling. Consider the following excerpt from JTA:

Vance’s latest comments, made Tuesday during an interview with conservative radio host and CNN pundit Scott Jennings, came in response to the question:

“Does the conservative movement need to warehouse anybody out there espousing antisemitism in any way?”

“No it doesn’t, Scott,” the vice president replied.

Vance then asserted that conservatives, drawing on Christian influences, were welcoming of all backgrounds.

“I think we need to reject all forms of ethnic hatred, whether it’s antisemitism, anti-Black hatred, anti-white hatred,” he said. “And I think that’s one of the great things about the conservative coalition, is that we are, I think, fundamentally rooted in the Christian principles that founded the United States of America.”

He added, “And one of those very important principles is that we judge people as individuals. Every person is made in the image of God. You judge them by what they do, not by what ethnic group they belong to.”

This is not the first time he has made comments that signal tolerance for antisemites while simultaneously repudiating antisemitism itself.

First – as I have said in the past - I don’t believe Vance is an antisemite. But his defense of allowing antisemitic voices within the conservative political sphere is really no defense at all..

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Whose Fault is it Really?

Yosef Eizental - run over by a bus and killed during a Charedi protest (VIN)

As must have been the case for anyone who became aware of this tragedy, my first reaction was one of profound sadness. Yosef Eizental, a 14-year-old Charedi boy, was killed after being run down by a city bus in Jerusalem during a recent protest by members of his community against the draft. A frustrated bus driver drove through a large crowd that was blocking the street and struck and killed young Yosef. I cannot begin to imagine what his parents are feeling right now.

This young man was simply acting on the directives of his religious leaders. Many of whom have engaged in truly over-the-top and deeply disturbing exaggerations about the supposed ‘evils’ of the IDF.

My sadness, however, quickly gave way to anger. Anger at those who are ultimately to blame for this tragedy (beyond the bus driver himself).

I don’t know whether any specific Charedi religious leader or group of leaders explicitly called for this protest. But it would not surprise me if they did since they have done so in the past. But even if they did not directly call for it, they certainly inspired it through their constant and vile anti-IDF and anti-government rhetoric.

One thing seems certain: they did not urge restraint, nor did they call for the protest to be halted once it began. They likely took pride in the fact that so many of their young protégés participated in what they viewed as a ‘just’ cause. Even though many non-Charedi religious leaders believe that cause is anything but just.

That said, they are certainly entitled to their opinion. As religious leaders – publicly addressing what they view as a religious issue is surely seen as an obligation to speak out forcefully on a matter they feel so strongly about, especially given the immense influence they wield.

But with the power to motivate tens of thousands of young students to act - comes responsibility. Responsibility that must be shared when the consequences turn tragic. And that is clearly the case here.

Of course, the primary fault lies with the bus driver, who panicked as a chaotic crowd began attacking his bus while fires were being set in the street around his bus. He is rightly being charged with manslaughter. There is no excuse for driving at an unsafe speed through a street packed with people. He had to know that someone would almost certainly be hurt or killed.

But the responsibility does not rest with him alone...

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Is Iran Now in Trump's Crosshairs?

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking at a press conference (JTA)

One of the more striking aspects of the media coverage surrounding the capture, arrest, and eventual trial of Venezuelan dictator and drug trafficker Nicolás Maduro was the way it was framed as ‘controversial’, as though opposition to the operation were as morally valid as support for it.

What the mainstream media largely ignored - though it was obvious from those interviewed -  was that the supporters were overwhelmingly expatriate Venezuelans. They were openly grateful, even emotional, thanking the president for finally acting and expressing hope of returning home once democracy is restored.

The protesters opposing the operation, by contrast, were the familiar collection of leftist activists reciting well-worn platitudes about violations of international law, seemingly indifferent to the reality that a brutal dictator ruling by force over an impoverished population would otherwise have remained in power. The same reflexive condemnation was echoed at the UN by predictable European voices eager to portray the beginning of Venezuela’s liberation from socialist dictatorship as a crime.

Despite public denunciations for domestic consumption, Venezuela’s current leadership has pledged cooperation with the United States. Predictably, however, the president’s political opposition in Congress is also outraged. Most acknowledge that Maduro was a vicious dictator responsible for facilitating drug trafficking that has killed countless Americans. They are glad he is gone. Yet still condemn the president for acting without congressional consultation. Once again, they want it both ways.

The irony is hard to miss: Republicans now side with the Venezuelan people, while Democrats effectively side with the dictator by insisting the president was wrong to act and should have left Maduro in power.

Meanwhile, voices on the left - especially in academia - insist with absolute certainty that the operation had nothing to do with drug trafficking or liberation. The real motive, they claim, was oil.

I have rarely seen such anxiety over the supposed collapse of American democracy. Critics warn that the president is becoming a dictator by flouting the Constitution. They are entitled to that view. I do not share it.

In fact, I am encouraged by how world events are unfolding. Ironically, one of the president’s greatest flaws—his unpredictability—has become America’s greatest strategic asset. That mercurial style has helped end the war in Gaza and has put the fear of God into Iran. As I have said before: Iran should be worried. VERY worried. 

Israel has taken notice. And it isn’t only Netanayhu As reported by JTA:

The Venezuela operation drew attention in Israel, where leaders used it to signal a warning to Tehran amid mounting unrest inside Iran. Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X that “the regime in Iran should pay close attention to what is happening in Venezuela,” framing the U.S. action as a broader message to a government facing intensifying protests and riots at home.

That sentiment was reinforced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio:

Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rubio said the United States will exert leverage, including continued sanctions and pressure on Venezuela’s oil sector, to ensure that the country “no longer cozy up to Hezbollah and Iran in our own hemisphere.”

On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he offered a shorthand for U.S. goals: “No more drug trafficking, no more Iran Hezbollah presence there, and no more using the oil industry to enrich all our adversaries around the world.”

Those who are wringing their hands over a supposed constitutional crisis need not worry. Much - if not most - of the criticism coming from Congress and academia is driven by ideological bias. If there truly were a constitutional emergency, Republicans would not be lining up to support the president.

Some will argue that they do so only out of fear of retaliation. While that may be true about some of them, It is not true about all of them. The idea that an entire party would abandon the Constitution simply to stay in Trump’s good graces is absurd. Much of this debate ultimately comes down to interpretation—of both presidential authority and the Constitution itself. Claims of ‘obvious’ and ‘blatant’” violations are opinions, not settled facts, and are heavily filtered through the ideology of those making those assertions.

This is why I am not worried.

And while Iran once believed the U.S. would never put boots on the ground, it now believes the president might be ‘crazy’ enough to do so, even at legal risk...

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Judging a Leader by Character Alone

The president addressing the Knesset (CNBC)

One of the most troubling aspects of our time is how extreme our political divisions have become. There is an increasing inability to recognize any good in one’s ideological opponents. Once opposition to an individual hardens, it becomes almost inevitable that anything positive he does will be interpreted negatively. Viewing political adversaries through a perpetually hostile lens - an ‘evil eye’ so to speak - is a corrosive way to see the world.

Which brings me to Donald Trump.

At the outset of his first campaign, I largely agreed with the prevailing view that Trump would be a disaster for the country and an embarrassment of historic proportions. His demeanor and lack of moral character were obvious and disturbing. My conviction was strong enough that I held my nose and voted for Mrs. Clinton.

My thinking was simple: as flawed as she was, she at least appeared to possess some basic decency and an understanding of how to conduct herself in high office. On Israel, I expected more of the same. No worse than her predecessor, who was not really anti-Israel as many of my co-religionists have said. Just misguided about what was in Israel’s best interests. I assumed it would be four more years of continuity.

She lost. And I thought the world had come to an end.

It didn’t.

Trump’s character never improved. In many ways, it worsened. But his policies often did not reflect that character. Instead, they reflected values I support as someone who leans politically conservative.

Nowhere was he more positive than in his Middle East policies. Without delving into excessive detail, the evidence speaks for itself: Trump is widely admired across Israel’s political spectrum. That became unmistakable when he addressed the Knesset shortly after securing Hamas’s agreement to release all living hostages. An agreement that was, in fact, carried out.

Yet the animus toward Trump here remains so intense that many of his opponents refuse to acknowledge any accomplishment.

None of this is to argue that Trump is above criticism. Far from it. Some of his actions have been deeply damaging... 

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Nicolás Maduro, the US, and Israel

Nicolas Maduro, and Palestinian Ambassador Linda Ali (Liberation news)

U.S. military power is back. No longer will America be viewed as a paper tiger—a description often applied to U.S. military strength during and after the Cold War. The idea was that despite our advanced military technology and military might - which included unparalleled intelligence and surveillance capabilities, we lacked the will to use them, haunted by the fear of another Vietnam. More than 40,000 American troops were killed there propping up a weak democracy that never had a realistic chance of survival.

There were exceptions. Iraq was one. That experiment in regime change proved chaotic and fell far short of expectations. Afghanistan followed, reinforcing the perception that despite immense military power on paper, the United States was unwilling - or unable - to use it decisively. The paper tiger theory seemed confirmed.

Until now.

Nicolás Maduro was captured in a military operation whose precision and success mirrored that of Israel’s most daring actions. The results have produced enormous benefits for the world in general and the United States in particular.  Not the least of which was the restoration of control over oil refineries built and operated by U.S. companies and nationalized under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez. And perhaps more importantly is the restoration of American dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

But the biggest prize belongs to the Venezuelan people themselves. Both those living in Venezuela and expatriates here in the United States. Their reaction was ecstatic. They thanked the president for this action and celebrated the fact that, for the first time in decades, there is a real chance democracy will be restored to their country.

This operation also sends a clear message to regimes like Iran: They should be worried. Very worried. No longer can they rely on the paper tiger theory of American power. No longer can they assume the United States will never pursue regime change for fear of putting boots on the ground and risking American lives. While it may still be true that the U.S. prefers to avoid large-scale deployments, we have now demonstrated that – under this president - when the stakes are high enough, hesitation is no longer an option. That has in fact already established by the US precsion attack against an underground nuclear en rchment facility in Iran – thanks to Israel paving the way. This time it was the US military alone that did it.

By coincidence, at this very moment - a popular uprising is underway in Iran. It began as a protest against runaway inflation that has pushed much of the population below the poverty line. But it has since grown into a broader revolt by Iranians who despise their government. Many of them protested in the past, only to watch fellow demonstrators executed for doing so. That fear - of death simply for protesting - had long kept them silent.

No longer.

Their collapsing economy appears to have pushed them past desperation...

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