Month: October 2024

Sinwar is gone – what have we learned?

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

This week the news broke that Yahyah Sinwar, the Hamas terrorist who planned the October 7th massacre and attempted genocide in Israel, was eliminated by the IDF. The amazing thing about it was that despite all the amazing Israeli intelligence and targeted attacks to eliminate Hezbollah and Hamas leadership, Sinwar was eliminated by a training unit in the tanks unit. This video shows the proof of his death.

Yahyah Sinwar is dead – the proof

Israel has been targeting the leadership of Hezbollah and Hamas for a while now and eliminating them to destroy the infrastructure. While the world said this wasn’t possible, Israel has once again shown that what the world says is not possible, they will make happen. The Hezbollah leadership has been decimated. Not only have they eliminated Nasrallah, they eliminated the next two successors to him. As the chart below shows, the top 3 levels of Hezbollah’s leadership has now been eliminated. This is how you defeat terrorism.

Yet there remain those who actively support the terrorists. Noted antisemite Jackson Hinkle continues to think the terrorists are fighting for freedom despite their clear statements to the opposite. While the terrorists call the United States “The Big Satan” and are clear that while they want to eliminate Israel and all Jews, their real goal is eliminate the West and make the world part of the caliphate under Sharia Law, people like Hinkle empower and embolden them in their efforts to do so. His hatred of Jews blinds him to their desire to kill him. Note the number of views, the number of likes, and those who have saved the post. It’s frightening.

There are those memorializing Sinwar as some sort of Palestinian hero. How easy it is for them to forget his nickname, “The Butcher of Khan Younis” came for slaughtering Palestinians. They quickly forget, or never bothered to learn, that he went to prison for murdering Palestinians or while in prison, he was accused of raping Palestinians and ordered the honor killing of his own sister for having an extramarital affair. It doesn’t matter to them that in his interviews, he stated that he did not care if 100,000 Palestinians died in the conflict he started with Israel. Their hatred of Jews is more important that the facts.

Then there are the lies being told about Israel not allowing food and aid into Gaza. Despite the documentation, despite the pictures and videos, the world chooses to repeat the lies. The documentation of UNRWA providing the aid to Hamas doesn’t change the world’s condemnation of Israel. When the people of Gaza complain that the food given as aid to be given out freely is too expensive, the world turns a blind eye. Israel is the only country that is expected to provide food, water, fuel, medicine, and power to the enemy they are fighting against. They are required to give it to an organization, UNRWA, that is tied closely to Hamas, the enemy they are fighting. The hypocrisy is real.

Over the past month, as Israel has systemically eliminated the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, they have shown their strength. As a result, other Arab countries are now taking a strong position against Hamas and Hezbollah. Unlike the current United State administration and European countries, Israel understands that strength is the currency of the Middle East. When you show strength, others join with you. When you show weakness, you are not respected and you have no ability to impact what is happening. We are now seeing Saudi Arabia come out publicly against Hamas and Hezbollah. This is because Israel has shown strength.

Our media and the world’s media doesn’t like to cover those speaking out against the terrorists or the hatred. Yet more and more of them are speaking out. More and more we are seeing those with knowledge choosing to take action and speak out against the terrorists and in support of Israel. The lie that you can’t defeat an ideology is being proven wrong. Here is an amazing piece by a Muslim Yemeni asking real questions and providing real answers. My favorite part is when he tells the muslim woman that what she just said makes her a Zionist.

Here is an Australian journalist speaking the truth. Where is this in our U.S. media? Where is this on the BBC? It’s powerful to watch and hopefully we will now be getting more of this time of accurate coverage.

There are a number of things we have learned since October 7, 2023. Here is a list of things we have learned that we either take action on or suffer because we chose to ignore them.

The world really does hate us. We can’t forget that, ever. We see it constantly. Authors who cancel speaking engagements because they won’t share the stage with a Jew (they say Zionist but they mean Jew). Actors who take uneducated positions. Even Porn stars like Mia Khalifa are now being hailed by the NY Times as an activist because of her Jew hatred. She isn’t educated but she hates Jews and speaks out so that is enough. President Macron of France speaks out against us. President Erdagan of Turkey spews his Jew hatred and wants to partner with the regime of Iran. All we have to do is open our eyes and we can see the world hates us. We can’t keep our eyes closed or our heads buried in the sand about this any longer.

We are always Jews first. That’s who we are and how the world will see us. We are not American Jews, we are Jewish Americans. It’s no different than Germany in the 20s and 30s. Jews thought they were German first. They weren’t. We aren’t. Not Canadian-Jews but Jewish Canadians. We are not French Jews, English Jews, Spanish Jews, or Italian Jews. The Jewish part always comes first. We forget this at our own peril.

Education not Hasbarah for our children. We have lost and are losing our youth when it comes to Israel because we don’t teach them the facts. We don’t teach them the truth. Even when the truth may be ugly. No country is perfect. Every country has done things they regret and are embarrassing in retrospect. Israel is no exception. We need to teach the facts of Israel. Israel didn’t begin in 1948. It began with Abraham. When we teach our children the facts of Israel and the modern State of Israel, they are empowered to support Israel. They are much less likely to believe the lies they are told on college campuses and even in Middle and High School.

We can’t rely on anybody else. For years we have depended on the relationship with the United States for much of Israel’s support. Since October 7th we have seen that while we are still getting American support, some weapons are being delayed and withheld. As important as the relationship with the United States is, we cannot depend on America for as much as we do. Israel must create its own weapons industry to ensure that there are enough weapons, ammunition, and other needed weapons to defend herself when needed. At the end of the day, we are the only ones who will take care of ourselves. On a campaign stop Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris was Vice President Kamala Harris was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters asking about ‘the Genocide’. Her response included the words, “What he’s talking about is real.” This is scary to hear from our current VP and possible next President. You can watch and listen to it yourself.

VP and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee last week.

Relationships do matter. If you had told me five years ago that Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt would help defend Israel from an attack by Iran, I would have laughed at you. Yet that’s what has happened TWICE in the past year. The Abraham Accords have changed the narrative and are creating a new opportunity for real peace in the region. The rebuilding of Gaza will happen with our Arab partners. The freeing of Lebanon will be with the Lebanese people. We see the Iranian people supporting Israel while the regime tries to eliminate us. Saudi Arabia is waiting to join in the economic boom that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is experiencing because of their normalization with Israel.

Peace through strength is real. We have seen that the only way to have peace is to show your strength. It doesn’t mean war. It means showing your economic and military strength. It means having strong intelligence and being able to act on it. It means being daring and innovative to gain respect. World leaders respect strength. They do not respect weakness. From the time Israel took the offensive and blew up the pagers and walkie talkies of Hezbollah leaders, the world took notice. As the leaders of these two terrorist organizations have been systematically eliminated, the world took notice. Peace comes through strength. Diplomacy happens because they respect your strength.

The media lies. This may seem like an obvious statement however far too many people simply believe what they see, hear, or read. TikTok has become the preferred news media for many. The bots telling lies make sure to spread them far and wide. The news media is really in the entertainment department and more interested in ad sales and clicks than facts. The old saying, “If it bleeds, it leads” has never been more true. Facts don’t matter, only what will sell more ads. We must be careful with believing what we see, hear, or read as far too often it is simply not factual. The world believes what they are told which only enhances Jew hatred. We do have some reputable journalists and we need to listen to them. One, Douglas Murray, who isn’t Jewish, has been outspoken. Watch this interview with Bari Weiss of The Free Press on her Honestly show.

    This is an hour long and worth every single minute.

    Antisemitism, really Jew hatred, never went away. As Jews in America, we had an incredible period of time when expressing Jew hatred was not acceptable. As a result, we fooled ourselves into thinking that America was and always would be a safe place for us. October 7th and what has come afterwards has shown us the folly of our ways. Jew hatred on college campuses has gone from verbal to intimidation to physical attacks. There is a movement to defund and remove Hillels from college campuses. We see violent demonstrations targeting Jews and Jewish communal facilities under the guise of targeting Israel. Physical attacks just for being Jewish are happening all over the world, including America. The day after it was confirmed that Sinwar was eliminated, multiple signs on UPenn’s campus were vandalized with “Sinwar Lives.” This comes after students and faculty posted repeatedly about Sinwar as a “hero.” This is what we face on the college campuses.

      We cannot be silent. Far too many people are choosing to stay silent rather than stand up for what they know is right. They’d rather be silent and ignored than speak out and take a risk. Their silence makes them complicit in the Jew hatred and the violence. The choice is to remain silent and wait until they come for us or speak up loudly and not allow the hate to grow uncontested. We saw what happens when stay silent in Germany and with the pogroms in Russia. We can no longer afford to be silent. Our silence will ensure our death.

      We have to go to Israel. I don’t mean we have to make Aliyah. We have to visit. Our brothers and sisters need our support. We need to see, feel, and experience what’s going on there. We have an eternal bond with the land and after October 7th, that bond is stronger than we realize until we are there. So go. Volunteer. I’ve worked the land in May and July for a few hours. It’s incredibly rewarding. It is meaningful. I’ve volunteered making packages for IDF soldiers, making Tzizit for IDF soldiers, and making sandwiches for children who aren’t able to afford to purchase them. Each one is more meaningful than the next. I’m too old to join the IDF but I’m not too old to help Israel and the Israeli people.

      These are important lessons that we cannot forget. Our history shows we do forget. We think we are part of the Babylonian people, the Romans, Spain, Russia, Germany, England, France, and the United States. We aren’t. We are always the Jews. We have always been the Jews. We will always be the Jews. As long as we remember that, we will not just survive but thrive. When we forget, we risk elimination.

      Below are two pieces about being Jewish. Both are powerful pieces describing being Jewish. I encourage you to spend the time watching and listening to both.

      I met Andrew years ago at the JFNA General Assembly. His poetry is powerful and worth listening to.

      And of course, the famous piece by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (z’l)

      The ultimate price

      Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

      I recently saw a video clip from the first season of the West Wing about the virtue of a proportional response. It struck me deeply as I feel as frustrated about Iran attacking Israel and the definition of ‘proportional response’ being used by the West as President Bartlett is in the clip about Syria. Since Iran fired nearly 500 ballistic missiles at Israel, does that mean Israel should shoot 500 ballistic missiles at Iran? Would taking out their oil refineries or nuclear facilities be considered proportional to 500 ballistic missiles? It also inspired me to go back and rewatch the show for the umpteenth time as it inspires me and we live in a time with such great need for inspiration.

      One of the great things about the West Wing is that the characters are strong, the issues still relevant, and the challenges are real. I don’t always agree with President Bartlett, Leo McGary, Josh, Toby, CJ, or Sam, but I enjoy the challenges they face and the way they think through things. I find myself wishing for the moral clarity of President Bartlett, even during struggles. I wish for the outrage of Toby Ziegler in his quest to be moral and just. I enjoy the struggles of Josh Lyman as he tries to do the right thing but often struggles with the question of, “do the ends justify the means?”

      In Season 1, episode 10, Toby Ziegler is called out to the scene of a death because his card was found in the pocket of the coat the homeless man who died was wearing. Toby realizes it was a coat he gave to Goodwill and then realizes that the homeless man who died was a Marine veteran from Korea. He is offended and humbled by the way this veteran is being treated. It took 90 minutes for them to remove his body. He wasn’t going to be honored with a military funeral despite getting awarded a Purple Heart. He intervenes, uses President Bartlett’s name, and arranges for a funeral at Arlington National Cemetary with full military honors for this veteran.

      At the same time, the episode explores Mrs. Landingham’s backstory. Her twin sons were in medical school when they were drafted to Viet Nam. They could have gotten an exemption because of medical school but chose not to. She shared with Charlie that she and her husband begged them get the exemption but they refused, wanting to serve their country as they felt is was their obligation. Both of her sons were killed in battle, paying the ultimate price for our freedom.

      Toby speaks with President Bartlett about using his name to arrange the funeral. When President Bartlett makes the comment that every homeless veteran would now come ask for special treatment, Toby replies, “I hope so.” That struck me deeply. I never served in the military. After the movie Top Gun, I wanted to join the air force to fly jets but when I found out my vision disqualified me, I lost interest. It’s a decision I have often wondered about, sometimes with deep regret. I have friends that made Aliyah to serve in the IDF and have often wondered why I never considered that. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for veterans. They put their lives at risk for our freedom. They are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. I feel a deep debt to all of them and it has always bothered me that we have homeless veterans. We owe them everything and don’t adquately repay them. Toby’s comments are how I feel.

      When Toby leaves for the funeral, Mrs. Landingham tells him she wants to join him and go to the funeral. My heart ached for her and tears filled my eyes. There are so many families that have lost members due to their military service that are not aware of. They live with the pain daily. It brought me to today and the war between Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and ultimately Iran.

      I have many friends who have children serving in the IDF. I have many friends who have served in the IDF and are now serving once again as they have been called up for reserves. Many have been recalled multiple times, putting their lives on hold for months at a time, risking their lives. One of my friends was a commander in Gaza for the first four months of the war. I spent time with him right after he left Gaza and the impact on him was palpable. I could see it in his eyes. I could hear it in his voice. He told me that on the plane from Israel to the US it was the first time he had quiet in four months and he finally began to process what he had experienced and seen. He spoke very briefly about how many times he was almost killed. It was hard to see and hear.

      Every time they announce IDF casualties, I am very hesitant to click on the link to see who the person is that was killed, afraid it will be one of my friends or one of my friends’ children. I have been lucky so far that none of the names are people that I know. Yet each and every one is family. Each and every one is a terrible loss. I make sure to read each name slowly, their age, their hometown, and anything about them that is shared. I feel an obligation to them and their families to know about their loved one who paid the ultimate price to ensure the future and safety of the Jewish people.

      When I was in Israel in July, we went to visit the grave of one of the participant’s friends in Modi’in. He was a medic who was leaving Gaza in a car with other medics when a rocket fired by Hamas his their car, killing them all. He was just like Mrs. Landingham’s sons in The West Wing. As we stood by his grave, hearing stories about him, my heart broke. I looked around that section of the cemetary and saw all the graves of these young people who gave their lives to protect Israel and the Jewish people. That section was just for those killed since October 7th. There were far too many graves. I walked through, documenting them all on video, because owe it to them and their families to remember them.

      Walter Hitchcock, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel from the New Mexico Military Institute, is credited with the saying, “Freedom is not free.” It is one of the most accurate quotes I have ever seen. We, as Americans and as Jews owe a debt to those who keep us free. The US military. The IDF. It is a debt we can never repay and a debt that as Americans, we barely pay the interest on. We must do better.

      During my last conversation with my friend who was the commander in Gaza, he casually commented that he had “just landed in NY and two days ago I left Rafa.” He said it as if he was reporting that he just came back from the grocery store. During my May trip to Israel, he left our group because he had to back into Gaza that night. We had plans to spend more time together that trip but he spent the rest of the time I was there in Gaza. I have had business meetings postponed because they were called up for “melowim”, Hebrew for reserve duty.

      These are warriors. These are heroes. They fight to keep us safe. They fight for our values and for our way of life. Many of them are 18 or 19 years old. They risk their lives for us. Let’s make sure we never hide our gratitude for their service or their sacrifice.

      IDF lone soldiers from France. These are the faces of the young people who defend the Jewish people. Look at those behind them and notice how young they are.

      Am Yisrael Chai. God bless America. May those serving in the IDF and the US military be kept safe in performing their sacred duty.


      The Real America

      Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

      The past few years have been crazy in America and the world. The past year, since the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel, have increased and/or exposed antisemitism in the world and in the United States in a scary way. I have been very vocal about my concerns about the lack of leadership by our elected officials at all levels of government as well as within the Jewish community. Those concerns remain and grow stronger every day.

      This past weekend gave me hope from the PEOPLE of America. What happened? What did I experience? What did I do? How did this happen?

      First of all, I want to acknowledge that it was Rosh Hashana and I celebrate the chagim different than most. Services don’t do it for me so I find other ways to connect with God. Sometimes it is at the beach. Sometimes it’s in nature. It’s usually something that has deep meaning to me and gives me a chance to assess my life, my choices, and how I want to do better in the upcoming year.

      As strange as it sounds, this year, I returned to my Alma Mater, Penn State University, for the Penn State – UCLA game. How could a football weekend give me such hope during such a bleak time? It doesn’t sound reasonable let along possible. Yet it happened. On multiple levels through multiple situations. With multiple different people.

      I flew out on Thursday to meet one of my best friends who is like my brother. We’ve been friends and it’s been like this for 36 years. I called him mom, mom. He calls my mom, mom. His Aunt Jean my was my Aunt Jean. My dad was like his dad and my parents treat him like a 3rd son. It’s that type of relationship. He picked me up at the airport, we grabbed lunch, caught up, and went to see his new house and to hang out with his wife, who I have known literally just as long as he has (almost to the minute!). That’s a different story for a different time.

      After stopping for lunch we went to his new house, built on 125 acres. Living in the country provides a different experience. People are nicer. People take care of each other. There was a different feeling being there than in the city. A calmness. Safety. Natural community. People know who belongs and who doesn’t. They look after each other. Favors are commonplace, not to keep a count but to help others. With the hate of the last year, it was refreshing to be in a place where kindness and care was so essential to life.

      On our drive to Penn State, there were four of us in the car. We spent the time talking, laughing, bonding, and connecting. I didn’t know the other two guys before we got in the car, yet by the time we got there, it felt like we had been friends for life. It was refreshing to be with people who wanted to connect, who wanted to get to know each other, and focus on similarities, not differences. On the way, we stopped at Sheetz for dinner (If you don’t know what Sheetz is, you are missing a Western Pennsylvania highlight). The common Pennsylvania battle is Sheetz vs. Wawa. As the only one with Philly roots, I chose to remain silent about the competition to enjoy the company (although I prefer Wawa). We shared the unloading of the car, shared setting things up, and enjoyed each other’s company. There was common responsibility. It wasn’t any one person’s job to do anything. It was all of our jobs to do everything. How refreshing! The focus was on the common good, not counting who did what or if somebody had done too much or not enough. We hung out, talked, watched some TV, enjoyed the company, and then went to bed, getting ready for a full next day.

      Friday was golf day. The four of us spent the day on the course, enjoying a beautiful October day of sunshine and cool weather. Three of the four of us are not good golfers but we sure had a lot of fun. We played on teams for the front nine, competing against each other. By the end of the front nine, we dropped the competition and just enjoyed hitting the ball, laughing at each other, and excited about the good shots we hit. As we finished golfing, the rest of the crew coming up for the weekend arrived. We headed home, ready to shower, have guests for happy hour, and then have dinner.

      The more people who showed up, the more we bonded. Everybody was different yet we focused on our similarities. Living in a world where half our country hates the other half, it was an incredible change to be with people who didn’t care about the differences, who didn’t want to focus on the problems but instead enjoy everything we had. One of the guys owns cigar shops and we listened to him, fascinated by the things he was telling us and learning from him. On a beautiful evening, we sat on the back porch, enjoying each other’s company.

      I had been having a health issue for a couple of days and it wasn’t getting better. I am known to try to just power through things and not always make the smartest decisions about my health needs. Since most people, including myself, know this, I finally decided to ask my wife about what was going on. Since she’s a nurse, I probably should have asked her a few days before, but again, I’m not always the smartest when it comes to my own health. When I shared what was going on, she told me to go to the Emergency Department at the hospital right away to get seen and have it addressed. She made me promise to text her when I got there and keep her updated. She knows me too well and that without making me promise to go right way and text her when I got there, I might delay going (or find a reason not to go at all). When I shared what I needed with a couple of guys, they jumped up to volunteer to help. I had offers to take me, to wait with me, whatever I needed. I didn’t need anybody to sit with me so I took the ride, thanked everybody for their offers, and went to be seen.

      As I sat waiting to be seen, sitting next to an Amish couple (yes, a real Amish couple), a number of the guys started texting me to check on me. These were people I didn’t even know two days before. The power of community and friendship was clear. I found myself remembering what it was like growing up in Central Pennsylvania, where everybody really did care about each other. Our parents always knew that somebody’s parents would be watching us, no matter who’s house we were at. Somebody’s parents would pick us up when we needed to. It was that common responsibility, just like when we arrived at the house at Penn State, that I grew up with. I found myself wondering how that had changed throughout the country and very grateful to have found it once again.

      After being seen and having the pressing issue taken care of with a promise to see my doctor in Florida when I got home, I was picked up and went back to the house. The response I got was amazing. People asking how I was. People checking on me. One of the guys had a similar issue and got open and vulnerable sharing about it with me. Some of these people I hadn’t even known 24 hours and yet I mattered that much to them. It was so powerful and overwhelming. I have written and talked about how kindness costs nothing and how valuable it is, yet being on the receiving end was both surprising and overwhelming. It’s something I will never forget.

      The next day was the Penn State – UCLA football game. The guys were shocked that I was going, having just been at the hospital the night before. I felt fine after they resolved my issue and I wasn’t going to miss out. Throughout the tailgate before the game, the game, and the tailgate after the game, different guys would come up to me and tell me how they shared what happened with their wife and their wife was asking about me. They couldn’t believe I was at the game, happy, and having fun.

      At the Penn State – UCLA game, less than 18 hours after my hospital visit

      So much of our life is determined by out attitude. Despite the health issue, despite a couple hours at the hospital, with every opportunity to look at the negatives, I only wanted to focus on the positives. I wanted to be at the tailgate with friends. I wanted to enjoy the game with friends. I wanted to focus on the good rather than the negative. We all have that choice every day. How often do we take it? How often do we get stuck in the negative, complaining, whining, missing out on the opportunities that are in front of us because we are focused on something we have no control over.

      Back at Beaver Stadium. I forgot how much joy I have there

      A few of the guys who are now my lifelong friends pulled me aside to talk. They got vulnerable and shared some things going on in their lives because I had taken the risk and shared what was happening with me right then and there. I wonder how many people there are that are looking for that opportunity to get vulnerable and never find it, never feel safe enough, to open up. As strange as it sounds, I found myself glad that I had the medical issue because it gave me the opportunity to be vulnerable and that then allowed others to do so as well. We live in a world where being right is so important that we forget to be human. We argue and fight over things we have no control over instead of focusing on the things that matter. People. Friends. Family.

      Before we all left on Sunday, I made sure to tell them that we need to find a weekend next year that doesn’t conflict with a Penn State home game and do this for a UCF game so I can expose them to the Bounce House. There was real excitement and hopefully we can make it happen during the 2025 season. I spent roughly 3 days with these guys and they are now friends. People I want in my life moving forward. People who showed me kindness and care when I needed it. People that opened up to me and that I opened up to.

      Imagine a world where instead of half the country hating the other half, we had people who cared about the other half. Not in a political manner. Not in a big picture, social justice, argue about policy manner, but as real human beings. There is something special in the Central/Western Pennsylvania area that I had forgotten, having moved from Pennsylvania to Florida in 1992. The hominess. The welcoming attitude. It’s a lesson I am glad to be have been reminded. It is a reminder that it is my responsibility to act and behave that way no matter how other people choose to act and behave. It is that reminder of the power of kindness. It is that reminder that we all want and need to connect, no matter how crusty our exterior may be, and we all have the opportunity to create that connection.

      So to Master Gunny Jimmy, Steve, and Gary, my newest friends, thank you for being who you are. Thank you for reminding me of how to act and behave all the time, especially in this crazy world. Thank you for your friendship. To my friend Aric, thanks for being my brother and thanks for bringing us all together.

      Now ask yourself, “How do I live my life?” Do you live in joy or in anger? Do you live in kindness or resentment? Are you willing to be vulnerable and allow others to be vunerable with you? What type of person do you want to be and what type of world do you want to live in? We all get to make those choices and we all can live in the world we desire based on our actions. We are not powerless and don’t have to accept what is being given to us. This weekend reminded me of that.

      In the immortal chant based exactly on this lesson (click on it read the story), one that never gets old:

      “WE ARE……………………………..PENN STATE”

      Iran – will we let them off the hook again?

      Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

      Procrasination is something that I learned as a child would not serve me well. “Why do today what I can do tomorrow?” didn’t fly in my house growing up. I tried the argument about making my bed; I’m just getting into it tonight, so why make it? I tried to not empty the dishwasher because I could just take the dishes out and use them, just like out of the cabinet! I tried, “The project isn’t due for a few weeks, why start now?” None of it got anywhere in my house growing up. I learned that if you have to do something eventually, you might as well just get it taken care of now. It’s a pretty simple philosophy and has made life much easier for me.

      It astounds me when I see smart people fail to understand this. The will put their heads in the sand, pretend not to see things, delay, delay, delay, for no purpose. At the end of the day, they still have to do what is necessary only now it is much more challenging and difficult.

      That’s where we found ourselves today when it comes to the Iranian regime. We could have addressed their funding of terrorists for decades, but we didn’t. We could have addressed their nuclear weapon aspirations years ago, but we didn’t. The JCPOA merely delayed it, IF Iran would actually follow it, which they immediately did not. After almost an entire year of war betwen Israel and Iran’s proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis), we finally got to the real situation. War with Iran.

      We’ve called them Iran’s proxies for years. We wouldn’t attack Iran. We had no sanctions, we put on crippling sanctions, we removed sanctions. We froze their money, gave them their money back, all for this evil regime to tyrannize the Iranian people, fund terrorists around the world, and do everything they can to develop a nuclear bomb. By all accounts, they are now very close.

      Today, Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles into Israel. While it was expected, it was shocking. The entire country went on alert. I don’t know anybody in Israel who didn’t spend time in their safe room today. Some, more than others. Luckily the Israeli technology was able to shoot down most of the missiles. America and Jordan helped shoot some down. For the second time during the past year, Iran has fired hundreds of missiles at Israel with minimal/no effect.

      Tel Aviv before the Iran bombing
      Tel Aviv after the Iran bombing

      Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that Israel’s air defenses intercepted many of the incoming Iranian missiles. Some, however, landed in central and southern Israel. Israel’s national rescue service said two people were lightly wounded by shrapnel. In the West Bank/Judea and Samaria, Palestinian Authority (PA) officials said a Palestinian man was killed by a missile that fell near Jericho, Once again, Iran’s attack was scary but not lethal.

      Missiles over Israel
      Missile impact in Tel Aviv
      Iranian missiles being shot down over the Kotel
      Missiles over Ashdod
      Iranian missiles at the Ayalon Mall in Bnei Brak
      Ballistic missiles over Israel

      Israel’s response is expected to be very different. They may target Iran’s oil refineries. They may target Iran’s nuclear facilities. They may target the Ayatollah himself. None of us know but Israel knows. Israel has been planning for this eventuality for a long time. Unlike the United States and Europe, Israel has not had it’s head in the sand when it comes to Iran. After missing so much that led to October 7th, Israel has showed her brilliance with the beepers, walkie-talkies, and elimination of the leadership of Hamas. The question for the US and Europe is are they going to treat the Iranian regime as a legitimate government who can be taken at the word or are they going to realize that this regime will lie, cheat, and steal to get what they want. The US and Europe are measuring time in minutes, hours, days, and weeks. Occasionally in years. Iran is measure time in decades and centuries. We are at a critical time in history after this attack and the question is, “Will the world take advantage of the opportunity or we will once again let the moment pass us by?”

      The Abraham Accords have shown that peace and normalization is possible. I have seen the Israeli Zionist Youth Movement in an Arab village (there are 55 Arab villages with this program and over 20,000 Arab children in the movement). I have Palestinian friends that live in East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Beit Ummar, near Hebron.

      I have friends in Israel who live in communities like Haifa and Jaffa where Jews and Arabs live together in peace. Every day they show what can be the reality. I have been to the Hand in Hand schools, where Jews and Arabs go to school together. They learn Hebrew and Arabic. They study together, learn together, and grow up together. There are currently 6 of these schools in Israel with more than 2,000 students enrolled. Jaffa, Jerusalem, Kfar Saba, Wadi Ara, Haifa, an the Galilee all have these Hand in Hand schools.

      We saw the dancing in the streets after Nasrallah was eliminated by the people of Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. They gave their thanks publicly to Israel for freeing them from an evil overseer.

      The lie that eliminiting the terrorists will just create more terrorists has been exposed. Failing to eliminate terrorists create more terrorists. Continuing to fund UNRWA when there continues to be more and proof that their employees are members of Hamas and Hezbollah, that they are not delivering the food and aid to the people of Gaza, that they participated in the October 7 attacks and that they housed and helped hide hostages. As Israel frees Gaza from Hamas, Lebanon from Hezbollah, and potentially Iran from the Iranian regime, the opportunity for peace is large. What will we do?

      It all comes back to where we are today. What are we going to do with Iran? Are we going to let them off the hook again? Are we going to miss the opportunity once again? Are we going to look back and regret how our leaders cowered in fear or be proud that they stood up to evil and made the world a much safer place? We will see what happens but we know that it starts and ends with Iran.