Is Peace Really at Hand?

The president expressing anger at Israel this morning (People)

Breathtaking! That is the only way to describe how quickly things can change in the Middle East. Yesterday the president was quite happy at the way things developed in Iran over the last 12 days. Giving Israel credit for paving the way for the US to destroy the remainder of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. 

Suddenly and unexpectedly the president announced that he brokered a cease fire deal between Israel and Iran to which they both agreed.

And then, just as suddenly, the President has become very upset with Israel. The truce was immediately broken by Iran, which fired a missile into Haifa. Fortunately, it was intercepted. While Iran likely did violate the ceasefire with that missile attack, no one was killed or injured, and no damage occurred.

Should Israel overlook that breach? If this were merely a matter of ignoring an attack with no consequences for the sake of peace, I’d say yes. But it's not that simple.

After the ceasefire was announced yesterday and set to begin at midnight local time, Israel continued pounding Iranian targets right up to the final moments. Eliminating as much of their military infrastructure and leadership as possible. Viewed in isolation, this should be applauded.

But Iran did the same. Moments before the ceasefire deadline, they struck a residential building in Be’er Sheva, killing four (or possibly 5) Jews. Technically, that did not violate the ceasefire, since it occurred just before it took effect. However, the missile fired at Haifa afterward did breach the agreement.

My sense is that Israel is using the post-ceasefire attack (which was technically a violation) as a justification to retaliate for the earlier, more devastating one. Which wasn’t.

President Trump is unhappy with all of this. He blames Israel for carrying out its deadliest strike of the war after the ceasefire had been announced even though it was not yet in effect. In his view, both parties should have begun winding down their operations after agreeing to the truce. Not accelerating them, even if the ceasefire technically hadn’t started yet. He believes Iran’s massive retaliatory strike just before the deadline was a response to Israel’s last-minute aggression.

As for the missile fired at Haifa after the ceasefire began, my best guess is that with their chain of command decimated it was launched independently by a local Iranian military base unaware of the agreement or its timing. Iran has denied any violation altogether.

Understandably, the president is concerned that the ceasefire may collapse before it’s even fully in effect. Though he blames both sides, he places more of the blame on Israel. 

Trump seeks peace, plain and simple. He is not a warmonger and never intended to enter a war with Iran or any other country. His strike on Fordow was a ‘one-off’ with the clear condition that if Iran retaliated they would suffer severe military consequences. Iran did attack but not in any serious way. In fact, they informed the U.S. when and where they planned to retaliate, ensuring that no American personnel would be harmed. This likely stemmed from their clear understanding that Trump would follow through on his promises if provoked. Their response was deliberately weak but enough to save face domestically and yet avoid real consequences.

The president even thanked Iran for the advance warning, which allowed the U.S. to evacuate troops and avoid casualties. He then brokered the ceasefire, which both sides agreed to.

Now, however, he is increasingly upset with Israel’s continued military actions. He called the prime minister, expressed his anger, and urged him to stand down, bring his pilots home, and honor the ceasefire from this point forward.

I understand why Israel is upset. The people killed in Be’er Sheva last night were the first Israeli casualties from Iranian missiles in days. Twenty-four were killed in the early days of the war, and that number had remained steady until last night.

So, should Israel retaliate - as it clearly wants to - or heed the president’s call for restraint?

My first instinct is that they should not retaliate at this time. Israel and the U.S. have already severely weakened Iran. The opportunity for regime change is greater now than it has ever been. Whether that will happen remains to be seen. But their mission to roll back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by years has already succeeded.

If it later turns out that Iran's nuclear infrastructure wasn’t fully eliminated, Israel and the U.S. can always strike again with greater ease and precision. That information should be easily obtained since Iran has been thoroughly infiltrated.

If peace is truly within reach, I side with the president. 

On the other hand, Iran cannot be trusted. They’ve repeatedly shown that their political ambitions have not changed. They may talk peace while rebuilding their military and nuclear programs. Possibly learning how to hide them even better this time.

We don’t know if they’re capable of doing that. But it’s far better not to find out the hard way. Retaliation might ultimately be the best strategy if it could end the regime once and for all.

What about the president’s objections? If Israel’s actions could accomplish that goal, all would likely be forgiven. But that’s a big if.

At the end of the day, I’m not certain what the right course of action is. But I’m leaning toward restraint. With the clear condition that both the U.S. and Israel remain highly vigilant. If Iran resumes any nefarious activity, they should not hesitate to act decisively if and when that is determined

I can’t presume to be in the prime minister’s shoes. And I will NOT second guess his decisions. I am not privy to his military intelligence data nor the security requirements of his country. So I am clearly in no position to offer advice on matters of such a consequential nature.

However, given what I DO know (based on the above considerations) if war - and the death and destruction that goes along with it – can be prevented without compromising Israel’s security, seeking peace should be the first course of action. And after the prime minster's conversation with the president this morning, I think that is what he is going to do.

Rethinking Political Loyalties

Senate Majority leader, Chuck Schummer - an ungrateful Jewish Democrat

My ecstatic approval of the U.S. strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities should not be mistaken for triumphalism. We are clearly not out of the woods yet. Iran’s terrorist regime has promised unprecedented retaliation on American soil, using sleeper cells to target ‘soft’ civilian sites. Like synagogues and yeshivos.

Thankfully, Homeland Security anticipated this type of response from a regime with the moral scruples of Hitler, and has upgraded security at many such institutions. But nothing is foolproof, and we must remain vigilant.

What I am not so ecstatic about - to put it mildly - is how the Democrats in Congress have responded. Even those considered  ‘pro-Israel’ seem to be more loyal to their politics than to the Jewish state.

As noted by Josh Kraushaar in Jewish Insider:

In my years of covering politics, it’s pretty rare for mainstream Jewish organizations to be wildly out of step with the predominant views of the Democratic Party. But in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s decision to order bunker-busting strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend, the views of the institutional Jewish community and many rank-and-file Democrats couldn’t have been more divergent…

By contrast, it was tough to find many Democratic lawmakers — even among those who are typical allies of Israel — who praised the strikes that severely degraded Iran’s nuclear program.

Among those disappointingly silent or critical were Chuck Schumer, Jacky Rosen, Adam Schiff, and Haley Stevens. There were a few Democrats who were on the right side of the issue, such as John Fetterman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Greg Landsman, and Steny Hoyer. But it appears that the majority were critical of it one way or the other.

Kraushaar further noted:

As one pro-Israel Democrat put it to JI: There were notably more Democrats putting out statements cheering anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil being released from immigration detention than those expressing solidarity with Israel in its time of great need.

To be fair, there are also two Republican lawmakers who joined the chorus of critics: Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie - both of whom are, or perhaps I should say were, huge MAGA supporters. Regarding Massie, Trump said the following:

MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!... MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one.

I couldn’t agree more. This is the same man who just yesterday implied in a CBS interview that Congress is controlled by AIPAC — a classic antisemitic trope.

To those Jews still clinging to the Democratic Party: you may want to reconsider your loyalties.

The Democratic Party has long enjoyed the broad support of American Jewry, going all the way back to FDR. There was good reason for that. For decades, they were our advocates. Jews, as a religious minority, faced bigotry and exclusion from neighborhoods, universities, and social clubs. It was the Democrats who helped us break those barriers. It was they who lobbied hardest against the Nazi menace. Even before the U.S. entered the war. And yes, it was a Democrat, FDR, who tried to enter the war against the Nazis but was restrained by an isolationist Congress and antisemitic members of his own administration. Until Pearl Harbor changed everything.

But times have changed. And so should our loyalties.

Gone are the days when the left championed the causes of the Jewish people. Today, we are no longer seen as part of the oppressed minority. Instead, many progressives see Jews -  and especially Israel - as part of the power structure they seek to dismantle.

When Israel was perceived as a small, vulnerable nation surrounded by enemies, she had their support. But now that Israel is strong, the narrative has shifted. And the left is no longer in our corner.

Let’s be honest: bipartisan support may have always been more myth than reality. Even when Democrats supported Israel, it often came with conditions. Today, the majority of the Democrats in congress - which includes many secular Jews - are taking positions that are not only harmful to Israel but contrary to America’s own best interests.

In America today, politics is king. Not Trump - politics itself. And politics often trumps (no pun intended) common sense, morality, and justice.

So yes, I am happy to see mainstream Jewish organizations breaking away from the Democratic Party. It’s long overdue.

The Jewish people -  at least those of us who understand what it means to be Jewish - should be thanking the president for what he did. This is one of those rare moments where Agudath Israel and Yeshiva University agree.

Agudah has called on all American Jews to express their gratitude by contacting the White House. Instructions on how to do that can be found here. 

And YU President and Rosh Hayeshiva, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, sent a profound letter of thanks, that included these powerful words:

“What if someone had stopped Germany before the Holocaust ever began? How many lives would have been saved? How might the world look today? These haunting questions were long consigned to the realm of historical reflection. But now, we are no longer asking ‘what if’ — we are in the story… 

While there are those who in hindsight pose the question of why President Roosevelt didn’t bomb the tracks to Auschwitz, we are grateful to live in a time when the United States president acts before the missiles are launched.”

To the Jewish lawmakers in Congress, I issue the following challenge:

If you are truly Jewish, this is how you should feel. If you don’t, I question – not only your Jewish identity, but your Jewish lineage!

Please understand. This is not about Jews being more loyal to Israel than they are to their own country. Not unless you think that of Republicans are more loyal to Israel than they are to their own country. This is about right versus wrong.

Operation Midnight Hammer

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

I don’t even know where to begin. But let me start by saying that I have never been prouder of my country than I am right now. The President of the United States has made what will surely become the most consequential decision of his presidency: he ordered a precision strike against Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow. According to initial estimates the US has completely obliterated what was likely Iran’s most important location of enriching uranium, and thereby destroying the last vestiges of their nuclear program.

Listening to General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff describe the mission and its execution, I was mesmerized. The precision, stealth, and strategy involved were nothing short of extraordinary. Only the United States has the capability to pull off something like this. The B-2 stealth bombers that delivered the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs are the only aircraft in the world capable of executing such a mission. Decoy B-2 bombers were used to divert attention while the real ones flew undetected into Iranian airspace and back—without a single shot fired at them.  The operation also involved 30 Tomahawk missiles fired at Iran from US Navy submarine.  

The entire operation sounded like something Israel might do, but it was 100% American.

What also impressed me was the display of American military might. The world has long known that the U.S. is the dominant global superpower, but it had recently become fashionable to view us as a ‘paper tiger’ - unwilling to use that power.

That perception empowered rogue regimes like Iran to act with impunity. Half-hearted attempts to curtail their aggression were openly mocked as they continued to export terror across the Middle East, all while deceiving the international community into believing they were in compliance with their nuclear agreements. Their lies were recently exposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

 Anyone who thought the U.S. would never act militarily has now been proven wrong. America acted - and acted decisively - to stop the world’s most dangerous regime from obtaining the world’s most dangerous weapon. As Prime Minister Netanyahu put it in his message of gratitude to the U.S. this morning: “The world is now a safer place.”

And for those who believed the Vice President - seen by many as part of the administration’s isolationist camp - was not on board with this, think again. In a series of morning interviews, he made it abundantly clear that he supported the President’s actions from the very beginning, long before the attack took place, and without the slightest hesitation.

It also became clear that the U.S. plan to strike Iran had been formulated and approved weeks ago. Well before Israel’s recent attack. President Trump had already concluded that negotiations with Iran were failing, but still gave diplomacy a chance. But by the end of Shabbos yesterday, it became apparent that Iran had no intention of giving up its nuclear ambitions. The President decided to act. And he did so boldly, while still offering Iran a choice: pursue peace - or suffer even more devastating consequences. This time they must realize, that warning is not an empty threat.

Some argue that America has no interest in fighting Iran since we are not being directly threatened. But that view ignores our responsibility to protect our allies - Israel foremost among them. It also ignores that Iran has threatened the U.S., including attempted assassinations against the President during his campaign.

Sadly, the political left has criticized the President for allegedly taking the nation to war without congressional authorization. But this was not an act of war. It was an act of defense. The U.S. has no interest in further military action unless Iran retaliates. The isolationist faction of Congress—which includes most Democrats, with the noble exception of Senator John Fetterman (God bless him), and a few Republicans seem to follow a “better red than dead” philosophy. They would have allowed Iran to continue unchecked, so long as America stayed out of war. If our ally Israel bore the brunt of Iran’s wrath - well, that’s not their problem.

To those who doubted the President’s support for Israel - or believed there was a rift between him and Prime Minister Netanyahu - those thoughts should now be put to rest. And those who thought Israel defied U.S. wishes by taking unilateral action last week should now understand that coordination had occurred, and the U.S. was never out of the loop.

As the President explained last night, he gave Iran 60 days to negotiate in good faith. They refused. Despite overwhelming evidence, they continued to deny enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels. But now the world knows the truth and the U.S. has responded.

Those who say the President broke his promise to keep America out of foreign wars have no idea what they’re talking about. This was exactly in line with that promise. There are no boots on the ground now and there are no plans to do so. Furthermore Iran is in no position to declare war on anyone - least of all the United States. All they’ve been able to do in retaliation so far is fire missiles at Israel, which is now under lockdown.

It should also be noted that there has been no public criticism from any Arab nations - except the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is widely believed that many Arab governments quietly support what the U.S. did. They don’t want a nuclear Iran anymore than Israel does.

As for Israel - I don’t believe they’re finished. Though they’ve stated that regime change is not their goal, there is every reason to hope for it. More than 80% of Iranians reportedly despise their regime. This may be a historic window of opportunity to support real change.

I do not believe the Iranian people are inherently antisemitic. Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran had a thriving Jewish community. The country had diplomatic ties with Israel and daily El Al flights to and from Tehran. If I were part of Israeli military intelligence, I’d advise devising a covert plan to support the Iranian people in overthrowing their government - starting with the elimination of their Islamist dictator, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. If any nation can accomplish that, it’s Israel.

As I always say, I have no way of knowing what the future holds. But God willing, if things continue to move in our favor, we may be witnessing the beginning of the end for this terrorist regime. And perhaps a return to what Iran once was: a Western-style nation where freedom and tolerance were cherished, where extremist fanatics like Khomeini were exiled or imprisoned, and where Jews could live openly, proudly, and peacefully. May it be God’s will.

Moving On - Naftuli Moster's Teshuva

Naftuli Moster pictured at a recent podcast interview (VIN)

I’m glad to hear that Naftuli Moster has done Teshuva. Some might recognize that name as the founder of YAFFED, an organization established to pressure Yeshivos into complying with the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) requirement that all private schools, including yeshivas, provide instruction in secular subjects such as English and math to a minimum standard.

As noted in JTA, NYSED had begun ramping up enforcement of a law requiring substantial equivalency in private education. Naftuli, an ex-Belzer Chassid, felt cheated out of a proper education and described his experience as follows:

“I had a broken English, I had no high school diploma, I had no understanding even of how college operates, no foundational knowledge that sort of would help me through college - even the application process - let alone actual college. So, yeah, I was pretty angry at the time, and I felt like I had nothing to lose because I already felt sort of disowned or shunned by the community anyway.”

Naftuli eventually resigned from YAFFED after it was overtaken by individuals with an agenda he could not support. I applaud him for knowing where to draw the line. Since then, he has returned to religious observance and now lives in a Modern Orthodox community, where his children attend one of their schools.

Naftuli regrets the way he publicly criticized his former Chassidic community and has come to appreciate many aspects of the lifestyle he left behind. I’m pleased to hear that while he still supports his original goal, he no longer endorses the confrontational methods he once employed.

The Charedi opposition to his efforts was fierce. They argued that the state was violating the First Amendment by interfering with their right to educate their children solely based on religious values - which, in some Chassidic communities, does not include any secular studies.

Long story short: After a lengthy legal battle, the courts ruled that while the state does have the authority to mandate ‘substantial equivalency’ in education, it cannot enforce that mandate by closing down noncompliant schools. Instead, enforcement was deemed to be the responsibility of the parents - something that proved practically impossible to implement on a broad scale.

As a result, some Chassidic communities continue to exclude secular studies from their curricula. They claim that their children’s lives are no less rich because of what is taught, even if that excludes general education.

I was disappointed to hear this outcome. While it's true that many in these communities seem blissfully unaware of what they're missing, ignorance - no matter how blissful - still means lost opportunity. Denying an entire community access to knowledge and tools that could broaden their horizons is never a good thing.

Even if the messenger, Naftuli Moster, was flawed, the message he carried was not. Dismissing the message just because the messenger was disliked ensures that the message will never be heard. And this is a message that the broader observant Jewish world has largely accepted and acted upon.

The vast majority of non-Chassidic Orthodox schools - and even some within the Chassidic world – do provide a secular education. Many require students to take New York’s Regents Exams to measure their academic proficiency upon high school graduation.

While there is unfortunately a trend away from rigorous secular studies even in some non-Chassidic schools, most still offer some form  of a secular curriculum. Fighting for the right of any segment of Orthodox Jewry to remain uneducated in general studies does them a great disservice. Whether they realize it or not.

Naftuli still believes in his original mission, but he now regrets the approach he once took and the harsh words he used. I’m glad he hasn’t abandoned the cause - only the negativity that once accompanied it.

As for me, my views have not changed. I never disparaged the Chassidic lifestyle. Like Naftuli does now, I recognize its beauty and value - for those who choose it. But one does not have to give up that way of life in order to obtain a decent general education. That should be seen as a positive improvement, one that can unlock unforeseen opportunities.

Unfortunately, based on the court's decision, many of those opportunities may now be lost - perhaps forever.

Taylor Greene, Carlson, and the President

No longer on the same page (Daily Mail)

Antisemitism knows no political bounds. It doesn’t matter how far apart the antisemites of the world are politically - whether they are far-left progressives or far-right conservatives they share one thing in common: they do not care much for the Jews.

That’s how morons like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene and their followers -  whose combined IQs barely match that of a tadpole - can oppose military action against the most dangerous threat to world peace since Adolf Hitler. Their hatred of the Jewish people is so deeply embedded that they fail to grasp how much they endanger the very country they claim to love by insisting the U.S. should stay out of Iran. That Israel’s war with Iran is ‘none of our concern’.

But this isn’t just about staying true to their isolationist ideology. It’s clearly about their disdain for Jews, whom they perceive as wielding too much influence over the government of a nation they believe should long ago have defined itself explicitly as Christian.

Even if one embraces an isolationist worldview, when a hostile nation threatens to point a nuclear gun at your head, you cannot afford to ignore it. Yet these people are so blinded by their hatred of the Jewish people that they cannot see what is happening right in front of them. Insisting that their backward isolationism is the best way to serve American interests.

A constant refrain from these low-life isolationists is that ‘the U.S. is being dragged into war with Iran by Israel’.  As if America has no independent interest in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. As if Israel (read: ‘the Jews’) is steering this country off course to serve its own ethnic interests.

They warn of dire consequences if the U.S. joins Israel’s war against Iran, including attacks on our troops and increased terrorism worldwide, especially in the U.S. They point to Iran’s threats of retaliation if we get involved. But that argument is absurd. A nuclear-armed Iran would make 9/11 look like child’s play, as would a nuclear strike on a U.S. military base.

In their infinite stupidity, they argue that Iran is nowhere near building a bomb and has no interest in doing so. Sure. Just like Hitler claimed he had no intention of harming the Jews when he was first elected chancellor. Or that he had no plans to go to war after annexing Czechoslovakia.

Recently, some critics have pointed out that the president’s MAGA base includes a significant isolationist faction. Many of whom are his friends, advisors, cabinet members, and members of Congress,. And they are not exactly known for being pro-Israel. Critics cite multiple examples, including the president’s recent Middle East visit, where he skipped Israel, brokered a ceasefire with the Houthi rebels without including Israel, and negotiated with Hamas for the release of an American hostage without Israel.

Despite all that, I never doubted his deep and enduring support for Israel, nor did I believe he would be swayed by the isolationist wing of his base. That faction saw his “America First” policy as a sign that he shared their hardcore isolationist views and would keep the U.S. out of any foreign war, regardless of the consequences to Israel - or to the rest of the world.

What they failed to grasp is his lifelong personal support for Israel and his ironclad commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He has never wavered from that position.

Now that negotiations have failed, and our ally Israel has - beyond anyone’s expectations - severely crippled Iran’s military infrastructure in just a few short days, the window for diplomacy has all but closed. The president is no longer talking about a nuclear deal. He’s talking about surrender. Which only happens after a lost war.

Iran has threatened retaliation if the U.S. joins the fight. The president’s response? In effect: “Go ahead. Make my day.” (Okay, he didn’t use those exact words, but the message was clear.)

Asked about the isolationist wing of his MAGA base, he made it clear he doesn’t care what they think. If they disagree with him on this, he said, they’re not truly part of his movement.

The president has not yet made the final decision to act militarily, but he has authorized attack plans. If and when he gives the green light, it will likely happen within seconds of that decision.

I still believe he would prefer a peaceful resolution. Perhaps he’s holding out hope that Iran will come to its senses and abandon its nuclear ambitions at the last moment, rather than face overwhelming U.S. military force.

But my guess is that the religious fanatics who rule Iran will never give up their dream of global Islamic dominance—starting with ‘restoring’ Islamic rule over Palestine. They would rather die than surrender. That means the president may soon have no choice but to act, and to finish the job Israel has so successfully begun.

If Iran retaliates, it might even spark a long-overdue regime change. Without needing the help of the 80% of Iranians who reportedly desire it but are too afraid to act. If Israel alone can do what it has done in a matter of days, imagine what the full might of the world’s most powerful military can accomplish.

As always, I cannot predict the future. And yes, a U.S. strike against Iran will come at a cost. But the alternative is far worse.

My hope and prayer is that the U.S. will strike, take out Fordow, the ayatollah, and his inner circle with it. The Middle East has already been transformed by what Hamas did on October 7^th  but not in the way they intended. If the president follows through on his pledge to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat for good, the region will change in ways previously unimaginable—even just a week ago.

The Amazing Nechama Spiegel

Captain Nechama Spiegel (Arutz Sheva)

I have said this before, but it bears repeating: the Charedi world’s evolution from a male breadwinning society into a female breadwinning one owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to feminism.

I’m sure many in that world would not only deny this but might even consider such a comment outrageous - bordering on heresy.

To be fair, feminism in its current form does promote an agenda which I, too, oppose. One that strongly contradicts traditional Jewish values, 

But there is no question that their primary source of income today would not exist without the early successes of the feminist movement. Something I’ve supported in its original form from the very beginning.

I would add that the goal of ‘equal pay for equal work’ has still not been fully achieved. I therefore urge the feminist movement to keep fighting for that principle.

An interesting example of the success of feminism - and of how the Charedi world has benefited from it - happened just this morning. As reported in the Arutz Sheva:

El Al operated the first repatriation flight this morning (Wednesday) from Larnaca to Israel, led by Haredi captain Nechama Spiegel from Beit Shemesh. The flight landed in Israel in the morning hours as part of the Ministry of Transportation’s plan to return Israelis who were stranded abroad following the suspension of flights during Operation Rising Lion.

Spiegel, a mother of seven and the first Haredi captain in El Al, made the flight as part of a series of flights approved by the government.

A mother of seven. Wow.

Those who say that Charedim do not contribute to Israel’s economy are thus proven wrong. What the Charedi world does not do is encourage its men to contribute. Preferring instead to keep them in Kollel while their wives ‘bring home the (kosher) bacon’.

Of course, in today’s developed world economy, it usually takes two incomes to sustain a decent middle-class lifestyle. The Charedi world comes up woefully short in that department. But to say they don’t contribute at all is simply false. They do - through their women, and through the men who eventually join the workforce later in life.

The point here, though, is not primarily about economic contribution. It is about the lack of recognition that Charedi leadership gives to the feminist movement - a phenomenon founded and advanced by people completely outside the Torah world. And yet, without it, they would not be able to live the lifestyle they have chosen: one of full-time Torah study for men, supported by women who gladly shoulder the role of primary breadwinner, often through pursuing higher education and professional careers.

This is not the first time I’ve spoken about the remarkable Nechama Spiegel. I shared similar thoughts when I first learned of the unusual occurrence of a female Charedi pilot. What’s particularly interesting to me is that her mother and my wife were classmates and friends at the Beis Yaakov School of Detroit. And as it turns out, Nechama is also my son-in-law’s cousin.

So even though we’ve never met - and she likely has no idea who I am - I’m proud to have any connection at all to the first Charedi female commercial pilot in Israel’s history. A woman who just flew an El Al repatriation flight under some of the most dangerous flight conditions in the country’s history.

Iran continues to fire missiles at Israel. Some of which are getting through and hitting random targets. Ben Gurion Airport is surely within range, and would be a valuable prize to them if it or one of its commercial aircraft were hit. That is why the airport is currently closed to all commercial traffic.

May God bless Nechama Spiegel and keep her safe throughout Israel’s holy mission.

The Necessity of Total Victory

Not ruling out taking out Khamenei (ABC)

Winston Churchill often emphasized the necessity of total victory and unyielding resolve in the face of adversity. Famously saying, ‘Never give in, never, never, never’. If I had to describe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resolve during this time of war, it would be to compare him to Churchill.

I have always been a fan of Prime Minister Netanyahu. And no, I’m not blind to his shortcomings. Many of the allegations made against him are probably true. He does have an oversized ego - surpassed only by our own president, Donald J. Trump. He may very well be technically guilty of accepting illegal gifts, like expensive champagne or Cuban cigars, while in office.

He is also a power-hungry politician who will double-cross his own supporters if it helps him remain in power. He has indeed alienated many former allies and doesn’t hesitate to align himself with unpopular causes to secure his power. Such as supporting Charedi demands for permanent draft exemptions for their yeshiva students. He is despised by the political left and even by some on the political right.

But Netanyahu is nonetheless a great leader. And he is about to prove it with one of the boldest military operations in Israel’s 77-year history. An operation that appears well on its way to a successful conclusion.

He approved the military intelligence operation that set Iran up for what now appears to be complete defeat. After Mossad agents strategically planted drones in the homes of Iran’s top military and scientific leaders, Israel was able to assassinate them remotely. Israeli intelligence identified all of Iran’s nuclear facilities, and - except for the one at Fordow- they have all been bombed into oblivion. And Fordow may soon experience its own demise. (That may very well be why Trump is meeting with his NSA staff in the situation room today.) Many of Iran’s military bases have been destroyed, along with over a third of its missile launchers and key oil depositories. More recently, newly appointed generals have been assassinated, and Iran’s state broadcasting center has been bombed. Israel now controls Iranian airspace, and Iran apparently has no functioning air force.

Tehran’s 10 million residents have been warned by the U.S. to evacuate - suggesting that Israel’s biggest move may still be on the horizon. And it seems many Iranians are indeed evacuating. In short, aside from their ballistic missile arsenal, Iran has been rendered virtually impotent.

Netanyahu has not ruled out the possibility of assassinating the Ayatollah himself, his possible successors, and political leaders. That may be the reason for the U.S. warning to evacuate Tehran, where they all reside. I suspect this may be Israel’s next big move, and it may very well succeed, just as it did in Lebanon with Nasrallah and his successors.

Meanwhile, the president has moved the USS Nimitz - a massive aircraft carrier - into the Red Sea  accompanied by several destroyers. He issued a stern warning to Iran that if a single hair on the head of an American soldier is harmed, Iran will pay a heavy price.

Consider for a moment the fear expressed in the past by American military experts whenever the idea of a war with Iran was discussed. There was near-universal agreement that the cost in blood and treasure would be far too high. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was believed to be far better trained and more ideologically driven than Saddam Hussein’s army in Iraq. Those same experts concluded that a war with Iran would make the Iraq War look like a walk in the park. Thus, the U.S. never seriously considered military action against Iran. Even though its military is vastly superior and would surely win.

The same thinking applied to Israel. If the U.S. feared a war with Iran, how much more so should Israel, a much smaller nation, be wary of the consequences?

But guess what happened? We don’t have to guess. Iran is in tatters, and things are about to get much worse for them.

If Israel pulls this off - and at this point it’s reasonable to assume it will - then under Netanyahu’s leadership, it will have achieved a military victory unlike anything since the 1967 Six-Day War. Could anyone have imagined this just one week ago? And yet, it’s happening.

Great leaders do not have to be perfect human beings. Netanyahu is far from perfect. But he is a great leader who approved a bold and brilliant plan to defeat Israel’s mortal enemy. And if, as I expect, he succeeds, he will have spared the world from the dangers of a nuclear-armed, fanatical Islamic regime determined to carry out genocidal threats against Israel and as well determined to spread their version of the ‘word of God’ under the threat of nuclear blackmail.

Will the left leaning world thank Israel for that? Probably not. Israel will continue to be villfied.

There is, however, a terrible downside to this upcoming victory. Tragically, there have already been dozens of Israeli casualties from the few Iranian missiles that managed to get through Israel’s Iron Dome. Thousands of Israelis have been displaced due to the damage those missiles caused to their homes.

Wouldn’t it be a noble gesture if some of the 75 million dollars being collected by Charedi Roshei Yeshiva were used to help house these displaced Jews until their homes can be restored? Perhaps they should take a cue from Yeshivat Har Etzion founder, Rav Yehuda Amital. He believed that Jews are not only holy - but human. Rav Amital was fond of making this point with the following story:

The founder of Chabad, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Ba'al Ha-Tanya, was studying Torah in the end room of a railroad flat.  Two rooms away there was a baby sleeping.  In the middle room, his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek, was learning.  Suddenly, the Ba'al Ha-tanya, heard the baby cry.  The elder rebbe rose from his studying, passed through the room where his grandson was studying, and went to the next room to soothe the baby to sleep.  Meanwhile, his grandson was too involved in his studies to notice the baby crying.  On returning to his room, the Ba’al Ha-Tanya told his grandson to stop learning.  He proclaimed, “If someone is studying Torah and fails to hear a baby’s cry, there is something very wrong with his learning.”  He explained that this was a founding principle of the yeshiva – we would learn Torah but still hear the baby’s cry.

It would be nice if the Roshei Yeshiva who are on their current mission to ‘save their Yeshivos’ heard the cries of the broader Jewish community. And not just those immersed in their Torah studies. And then did something about it.

What Will They Talk About?

What will their talk tonight be about?

I am not angry at the Charedi world. On the contrary, I am a big fan and supporter of their devotion to Torah study, which is unlike that of any other segment of Torah Jewry. No other community dedicates as much time and effort to that endeavor as they do. The fact is that studying God’s law is one of the most important things a Jew can do.

Their self-sacrifice in pursuing this obligation is legendary. While the Torah does not forbid earning as much money as one is capable of, that is not a goal most Charedim pursue. Those among them who are suited to the task - by virtue of the vast amount of time and unremitting dedication to studying the Torah - should be celebrated.

And yet, I cannot be angrier than I am right now at what their leadership is doing. Or more to the point - not doing. I am angered by their complete disregard for the sacrifices of the rest of Israeli society, including many observant Jews who share their reverence for Torah study.

I am angry that they refuse to even say the word ‘Israel’. As though it were a dirty word. Always referring to the state by its biblical name, Eretz Yisroel, the Land of Israel. They do not recognize the authority of the state and consider it an abomination because it is not run according to Torah law, thus consider it to be anti Torah

That this so-called ‘abomination’ has supported them with perhaps billions of dollars over its 77-year existence is virtually ignored by many of them. Instead, they now portray the new condition imposed on them for continued financial support - mandatory military service for at least a significant number of them - as a vile, anti-Torah gezeira (edict). Gezeira is a word historically used to describe harsh decrees imposed on Jewish populations by antisemitic regimes over the course of Jewish history in the Diaspora. This effectively places Israel’s leaders on par with every antisemitic despot the Jewish people have ever encountered in our long history.

Charedi leaders are now in America on their second annual trip to raise the multimillion-dollar shortfall caused by their refusal to allow any Charedim to be drafted. They are trying to make the case that their community of lomdei Torah will be destroyed without financial help from sympathetic donors outside Israel. Primarily in the U.S. Last year’s goal was $100 million, which they reportedly reached. This year, I’m told it is $75 million.

I’m not sure how they’ll manage with less, but that’s beside the point. What matters is that they seem so concerned about money that they’ve forgotten people are dying to protect the Jewish people. As if their own survival is all that matters. A survival that cannot possibly continue if it depends on raising that kind of money in perpetuity.

What angers me so deeply is that their cries for help seem oblivious to the fact that Israel is at war. A war for its very survival. So many Jews have been killed or seriously injured in action, many of them observant and equally dedicated to Torah study, while Charedim sit in the relative safety of their batei medrash (study halls). The fact that people are fighting and dying for the sake of the Jewish people seems to be completely off their radar.

Now, when Israel is perhaps in its most dangerous war since its founding, these leaders appear more concerned about fundraising for their yeshivos than about Israel’s survival. If they are concerned about what's happening back home in Eretz Yisroel, they certainly aren’t showing it. At least not in any of their advertising material, which speaks only about kavod haTorah - honoring the Torah by attending their events and donating money to their cause.

The saddest part of all this is that I don’t believe most Charedim are actually oblivious to what’s going on in Israel. But expressing dissent would be considered a serious breach of kavod haTorah.

The thinking goes that the rabbinic leaders who are pleading for money are the einei ha’eidah—the eyes of the community. They are presumed to see the world more clearly than the average Charedi and therefore know what truly matters—what to emphasize and what to deemphasize. So despite their own feelings, many Charedim suppress them in deference to the wisdom of their elderly sages.

These leaders are now stuck in the U.S. since there are no flights to Israel. And they are not wasting a moment - holding more fundraising events on behalf of their yeshivos, calling for participation in a public show of kavod haTorah. As if to say that failing to participate is a denigration of Torah.

But what about what’s happening in Israel right now? What about their community’s lack of participation in the national effort to protect the Jewish people? If they do care, it certainly doesn’t show  in any of their public materials. Like the one pictured anouncing sn event in Chicago this evening. 

And that makes me angry. Because being a Gadol - a great Torah leader - does not mean caring only for the yeshiva world. It means caring about all of Klal Yisroel. And showing hakaras hatov – gratitude for the protection they’ve received from the Israel Defense Forces without having shed a drop of their own blood.

That being said, I hope I’m wrong and that they do address the issues I mentioned. I will be happy to be proven wrong. But if past is prologue, I doubt it.

Israel's Righteous Mission

Images of war (The Autralian)

So far, there are no boots on the ground. (Hopefully there never will be.) And yet, the damage inflicted on the terrorist Islamic regime of Iran is so severe that they seem to be in a daze at a loss for what to do next - other than continuing to launch missiles into Israeli civilian areas. So far, some of them have gottne trhough and did some serious damage including killing12 innocent people.

Israel has effectively crippled Iran’s military assets and significantly damaged its nuclear program by assassinating top military leaders and nuclear scientists. All of this had been meticulously pre-planned and prepared before the Israeli airstrikes last Friday. Some of Iran’s military installations were also targeted - carefully mapped out and, in some cases, booby-trapped with pre-planted sleeper drones in clandestine Mossad missions that successfully penetrated Iran’s military and scientific establishment.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has clearly stated that Iran can expect more. This morning, additional nuclear sites were hit by Israeli airstrikes, along with one of Iran’s oil fields.

Meanwhile, Iran is getting no help from its proxies. Hezbollah - once considered Israel’s most powerful enemy - has not joined in Iran’s retaliation. That’s because Israel has already reduced Hezbollah to a shadow of its former self. Syria is no longer a threat either. And need I mention how impotent Hamas has become over the past year and a half?

There is no doubt that Israel was fully justified in attacking Iran at this time. Iran had already enriched uranium to weapons-grade levels, and it was only a matter of a very short time before they would have had a working nuclear bomb. The Islamic Republic has made no secret of its goal: to annihilate Israel as a religious obligation. When the supreme leaders of a theocratic regime say they have a divine duty to wipe you off the map - believe them. It’s not a stretch to imagine that once they had ‘the bomb’, they would have used it to achieve their cherished goal.

Israel had no choice but to act. As much as they would have preferred a diplomatic solution, where Iran would completely dismantle its nuclear program - that was never going to happen. Those who claim Israel should have waited until negotiations were exhausted are living in a fantasy world.

There was no better time than now - when Iran’s terrorist proxies are at their weakest and Iran itself is in its most degraded military state since the Mullahs took over in 1979. This is in large part due to what Israel’s military and intelligence apparatus has accomplished over the past year and a half.

Israel’s goal is not just to destroy Iran’s nuclear program but to degrade its military to the point of total impotence. I believe they will succeed. They have already destroyed the Natanz facility, Iran’s primary site for uranium enrichment. However, Fordow - located deep under a mountain - presents a more difficult challenge. Israel lacks the heavy-duty ‘bunker-buster’ bombs needed to penetrate and destroy it.

That said, there is more than one way to skin a cat. I trust Israeli ingenuity to find ways to damage Fordow from the inside without dropping a bomb from the outside. Israel surprised both Iran and the world with their highly successful strike last Friday. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have more tricks up their sleeve. We’ll see.

Many pundits - mostly leftists, isolationist conservatives, and the mainstream media - are urging the U.S. president to stay out of the war, insisting that this is not America’s battle. I understand the fear. No one wants to see American blood spilled in distant wars. Even Israel’s staunchest supporters in Congress aren’t advocating for American boots on the ground.

But here’s the thing: a U.S. strike on Fordow would not mean American boots on the ground. And it would finish off Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. has the bunker-busting bombs required. If there were ever a justification for using them, this is it. If Israel succeeds in every aspect of its mission except destroying Fordow, a U.S. airstrike becomes a no-brainer.

Of course, America may be drawn in regardless - if Iran attacks a U.S. base anywhere in the world. In Iranian theology, America is the ‘Great Satan ‘and Israel the ‘Little Satan’. The Mullahs might be fanatical enough to provoke the U.S. militarily. The president has already promised ‘hellfire and brimstone’ if that happens. We’ll see how that unfolds.

A word about regime change: The most ideal outcome set into motion by October 7^th would be if the freedom-loving people of Iran rise up and overthrow the Mullahs who have ruled their citizens with religious tyranny for over 45 years. The majority of Iranians despise what their government has done to their lives. They have lost their freedom. And they want it back. When large numbers have tried to protest in the past, the regime responded with brutal force - arresting, torturing, and even executing dissidents.

Right now, the Mullahs are in the weakest position they’ve ever been in. There has never been a more opportune time than now for the Iranian people to take back their country.

If Israel could somehow assassinate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei - just as it eliminated Hezbollah’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Hasan Nasrallah - that might be the spark that ignites a revolution and restores freedom to the Iranian people. In that case, the U.S. and its allies could step in to help establish a democratic government, free of Islamic tyranny.

Regime change may seem like a pipe dream - but it’s a good one. And not an impossible one. If it were to happen… imagine the possibilities.

Operation Rising Lion

Another one bites the dust: IRG head, the late General Hossein Salami (News18)

I had a hard time falling asleep last night after hearing the news about Israel’s attack against Iran. But I’m feeling a little better this morning. Although there is still plenty to worry about - with a terrorist nation like Iran surviving Israel’s preliminary strike - I am encouraged by what Israel did accomplish, on so many levels.

First, there is the actual damage inflicted on its mortal enemy. As capable as I’ve always believed Israel’s military intelligence apparatus to be, I still underestimated just how effective they truly are. The Mossad had infiltrated Iran’s nuclear facilities, military installations, and missile launching sites across the country and booby-trapped them with explosive devices long before they attacked. They therefore also knew the exact locations of all their targets well before the attack began. And with the exception of those buried deep underground, they destroyed them all. Along with some of their top military leaders and nuclear scientists. I hate to use a well-worn cliché, but I’ll use it anyway: this was an unprecedented attack of ‘shock and awe.’ (Thank you, General Schwarzkopf.) And they are not done yet!

Iran’s retaliation was anemic. The hundreds of drones they launched against Israel fell flat. Almost all - if not all - were intercepted and destroyed before they could do any harm. No one was injured.

Iran has promised a much more severe response. I’m sure they would like to believe they’re capable of that. But we’ve heard this kind of talk from them before. Their military threat appears to be wildly overrated — at least so far.

The President’s reaction was not what some had expected — namely, anger at Netanyahu for not allowing negotiations with Iran to conclude with a possible nuclear agreement. Not at all. If anything, the President seemed to suggest that he green-lighted the attack. He is, in effect, telling Iran that if they don’t make a deal with the U.S. now, ‘they ain’t seen nothin’ yet.’ A quick AI search gave me the following result:

President Trump posted several times on Truth Social about the Israeli strikes on Iran. He warned Iran to agree to a nuclear deal "before there is nothing left." He suggested that future Israeli attacks could be even more “brutal.” Trump also claimed he gave Iran a “60-day ultimatum” to make a deal, stating that the strikes occurred on the 61st day. “I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there,” he said. He further suggested Iran might have a “second chance” to come to terms.

In interviews, Trump also said the U.S. supports Israel and called the strikes a “very successful attack.” He indicated the Israeli government had American backing in carrying out the strikes. When asked whether the deaths of key Iranian hardliners were a result of the attack, he sarcastically replied that they “didn’t die of the flu.”

Lest anyone think this is just the President talking, I am happy to report that Israel is receiving overwhelming support from Congress. On both sides of the political aisle. Predictably, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and a few of the more extreme isolationist Republicans in the House condemned the strikes, calling them an unnecessary escalation that could drag the U.S. into ‘Netanyahu’s war.’ Thankfully, they are in the minority. Most of the Senate and House expressed sentiments like the following:

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said, minutes after reports of the operation began, “Proud to stand with Israel.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) soon followed, saying, “Game on. Pray for Israel.”

Cotton later added that “We back Israel to the hilt, all the way,” adding that if “the ayatollahs harm a single American, that will be the end of the ayatollahs.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), said “Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!”

Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, “We stand with Israel tonight and pray for the safety of its people and the success of this unilateral, defensive action.” 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the administration’s former nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said, “The U.S. stands strongly with our ally and partner Israel.”

“May God Bless Israel & the brave IAF [Israeli Air Force] soldiers as they protect their national security and the world’s safety,” 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said that he supports the attack and “Our commitment to Israel must be absolute.”

“Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel,” Fetterman said. “We must provide whatever is necessary — military, intelligence, weaponry — to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said: “If Israel’s strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program, we’ll all be safer,” adding that the U.S. must protect U.S. citizens and personnel and “must support Israel’s defense.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said that “Israel is not the aggressor. It is defending itself against an existential threat that long predates the present preemptive strike. The true aggressor is the Islamic Republic and its empire of terror — an empire stained with the blood of innocent Israelis.”

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), also noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency had just declared Iran to be in violation of its nonproliferation obligations, said that “Israel is justifiably defending itself and its people.” 

In an effort to deter Iranian retaliation against U.S. interests, Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly stated that the U.S. was not directly involved in the attack, while warning Iran against targeting American assets.

But clearly, the operation was not only a success - it was praised by both the executive branch and the majority of the legislative branch.

What particularly pleased me was that, for the first time in many months, Israel received favorable coverage from the mainstream media. The last time that happened was when Israel cleverly devastated Hezbollah by remotely detonating the pagers and walkie-talkies of their commanders, and then killed their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. The media recognized Israeli ingenuity then - and they’re recognizing it now.

Every news report I watched this morning seemed to convey a sense of awe - and even gratitude  -  in the voices of the anchors and reporters. There wasn’t a trace of media condemnation that I’ve sadly grown accustomed to over the last year and a half.

Although I’m sure this moment will be short-lived, I’m going to savor it while it lasts.

If anyone still questions the value of Israel to the United States, I suggest they engage in some serious introspection - if not psychotherapy - to better understand what might compel them to interpret positive, almost miraculous events in negative terms.

In the meantime, I will continue to pray for the welfare of all my people - in Israel and around the world. ‘It ain’t over till it’s over.’  We are living in precarious times, and we must not take our freedom and safety for granted.

May God bless and protect the people of Israel and the United States of America.