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Iran Didn’t Hear, ‘Don’t’
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 9, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
JNS.org – The words you are looking for are, “Thank you, Mr. President.”
I have not hesitated to criticize many of U.S. President Joe Biden’s policies before and after Oct. 7, but I have also consistently maintained that he has been the most pro-Israel president ever during any of Israel’s wars. That should have been obvious this past weekend when the United States coordinated a regional air defense that helped Israel avoid suffering any serious harm from a barrage of more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles. It was the first time U.S. forces took an active role in fighting to defend the Jewish state. Rather than gratitude, Biden-haters aren’t convinced. Some have concocted a QAnon-like conspiracy theory that the United States and Iran cooked up a plan to ensure that no Israelis would be hurt, thereby giving Jerusalem no justification for retaliation that would ensnare Washington in a war that would interfere with the president’s appeasement of Iran or re-election.
Admittedly, there were some peculiarities about the attack. Reuters said that Iran warned Turkey, Jordan and Iraq 72 hours in advance of its plan. Turkey said it informed the United States, which the Biden administration denied. Nevertheless, the president announced that an attack was imminent before it occurred. The countries in the region even closed their airspace to make sure there were no accidents. This gives the impression of a plan orchestrated by everyone except Israel.
Defending against the attack also seemed too easy. The videos looked like an arcade game where slow-moving targets were shot down. The only thing missing was the kapow sound effects.
Still, how could the United States count on all the targets being shot down? Iron Dome isn’t foolproof. Could the Saudis, Jordanians and NATO allies be trusted to defend Israel? If only one rocket had hit a significant target or caused more than a handful of injuries (one Arab girl was seriously wounded by shrapnel; The New York Times essentially blamed Israel for not building shelters for Bedouins), Israel would have had no choice but to retaliate. As it is, it’s hard to imagine how Israel can feel it can deter its enemies if it does not respond.
Also, if America was going to conspire with Iran, wouldn’t it have made more sense to persuade the Iranians to respond proportionally by, say, attacking an Israeli diplomatic mission, ideally in the middle of the night when no one was there? Iran would have still looked tough, and Israel wouldn’t have felt the need to retaliate on Iranian soil.
Another oddity is that no one attacked the launchers. When Hamas or Hezbollah launch a rocket, Israel immediately strikes the source. During the Iraq War, the United States took out Scud launchers. Wouldn’t that have been accepted as a reasonable response, or was everyone sure that the first volley would be the only one? That’s what the Iranians said, but could they be trusted?
Afterwards, Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “take the win.” That also sounds nutty at first blush. After all, what would Biden do if China, Russia or North Korea launched ballistic missiles at the United States? If we successfully intercepted them, would he be satisfied with the “win.” Would the American public consider it a victory if millions had spent hours terrified in non-existent bomb shelters? Would they be content or demand retaliation? Of course, Washington would have to consider the risk of its response escalating to a nuclear war, whereas Jerusalem does not have that concern.
Which brings up Iran’s nuclear program. What if one of those Iranian missiles—built to deliver a nuclear weapon—had been carrying one? Thanks to the failures of the last three presidents, Iran is on the cusp of having the capability. After this weekend, does anyone believe that Biden would use military force to stop Iran from getting the bomb? If Iran’s nuclear capability is not taken out, Israel and the rest of the region will have their own North Korea to deal with, which will make them all vulnerable and stimulate a nuclear arms race among the Arab states.
Iran’s attack was a severe blow to both Israeli and American deterrence. Israel failed to deter Hamas, Hezbollah and now Iran. How harsh will retaliation have to be to restore it? Wouldn’t this be the ideal time, as John Bolton has been telling everyone, for Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities? And while they’re at it, why not also take out their oil terminal?
As grateful as we should be for Biden’s defense of Israel and the success of the defensive operations, Americans should be concerned about how emboldened our other enemies must feel after seeing the Iranians ignore Biden’s pitiful warning of “don’t.” The weakness of Iran’s military was revealed in the attack, making our timidity even more unconscionable.
If Israel does react with more than a U.S.-style pinprick, it would likely erase the benefits of its “win”: a return of world sympathy (which will only last until the next report on famine in Gaza); a rapprochement in relations between Biden and Netanyahu; a U.N. Security Council discussion focused away from Israel; a fast-tracking of aid to Israel; and a momentary diversion from Gaza. The “win” also came at a high cost, creating widespread fear among the Israeli population, reinforcing the image that Israel is a dangerous place to visit just as airlines had begun to resume flights and requiring a significant expenditure of military assets that will need to be replenished.
The State Department’s Palestinian focus was once again proven wrong as Israel’s peace partners came together to mount a joint defense. Granted, they acted out of self-interest and their fears of Iran; nevertheless, they could have left the responsibility to the United States. When America’s security concerns were on the line, we also saw who stood with us (Jordan and Saudi Arabia) and who did not (Qatar, Egypt and Kuwait). The administration refused to recognize that Qatar is an enabler of Iran and a malevolent actor on its own.
The Iranian attack laid bare the hypocrisy of Israel’s critics, as if they needed further exposure. There are no calls for boycotting Iran or protests against its aggression on college campuses. The Islamophobia lobby is silent about an attack that threatened the third holiest site in Islam and millions of Muslim civilians (one of whom was hit and is fighting for her life). The protests that have occurred, as in Michigan, where Biden hopes he can appease the antisemites to win the state, featured Iranian-like chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”
The post Iran Didn’t Hear, ‘Don’t’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s Sharaa Says Talks With Israel Could Yield Results ‘In Coming Days’
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks at the opening ceremony of the 62nd Damascus International Fair, the first edition held since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, in Damascus, Syria, Aug. 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Wednesday that ongoing negotiations with Israel to reach a security pact could lead to results “in the coming days.”
He told reporters in Damascus the security pact was a “necessity” and that it would need to respect Syria’s airspace and territorial unity and be monitored by the United Nations.
Syria and Israel are in talks to reach an agreement that Damascus hopes will secure a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the withdrawal of Israeli troops who have pushed into southern Syria.
Reuters reported this week that Washington was pressuring Syria to reach a deal before world leaders gather next week for the UN General Assembly in New York.
But Sharaa, in a briefing with journalists including Reuters ahead of his expected trip to New York to attend the meeting, denied the US was putting any pressure on Syria and said instead that it was playing a mediating role.
He said Israel had carried out more than 1,000 strikes on Syria and conducted more than 400 ground incursions since Dec. 8, when the rebel offensive he led toppled former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Sharaa said Israel’s actions were contradicting the stated American policy of a stable and unified Syria, which he said was “very dangerous.”
He said Damascus was seeking a deal similar to a 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria that created a demilitarized zone between the two countries.
He said Syria sought the withdrawal of Israeli troops but that Israel wanted to remain at strategic locations it seized after Dec. 8, including Mount Hermon. Israeli ministers have publicly said Israel intends to keep control of the sites.
He said if the security pact succeeds, other agreements could be reached. He did not provide details, but said a peace agreement or normalization deal like the US-mediated Abraham Accords, under which several Muslim-majority countries agreed to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel, was not currently on the table.
He also said it was too early to discuss the fate of the Golan Heights because it was “a big deal.”
Reuters reported this week that Israel had ruled out handing back the zone, which Donald Trump unilaterally recognized as Israeli during his first term as US president.
“It’s a difficult case – you have negotiations between a Damascene and a Jew,” Sharaa told reporters, smiling.
SECURITY PACT DERAILED IN JULY
Sharaa also said Syria and Israel had been just “four to five days” away from reaching the basis of a security pact in July, but that developments in the southern province of Sweida had derailed those discussions.
Syrian troops were deployed to Sweida in July to quell fighting between Druze armed factions and Bedouin fighters. But the violence worsened, with Syrian forces accused of execution-style killings and Israel striking southern Syria, the defense ministry in Damascus and near the presidential palace.
Sharaa on Wednesday described the strikes near the presidential palace as “not a message, but a declaration of war,” and said Syria had still refrained from responding militarily to preserve the negotiations.
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Anti-Israel Activists Gear Up to ‘Flood’ UN General Assembly
US Capitol Police and NYPD officers clash with anti-Israel demonstrators, on the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, July 24, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Anti-Israel groups are planning a wave of raucous protests in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) over the next several days, prompting concerns that the demonstrations could descend into antisemitic rhetoric and intimidation.
A coalition of anti-Israel activists is organizing the protests in and around UN headquarters to coincide with speeches from Middle Eastern leaders and appearances by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The demonstrations are expected to draw large crowds and feature prominent pro-Palestinian voices, some of whom have been criticized for trafficking in antisemitic tropes, in addition to calling for the destruction of Israe.
Organizers of the demonstrations have promoted the coordinated events on social media as an opportunity to pressure world leaders to hold Israel accountable for its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, with some messaging framed in sharply hostile terms.
On Sunday, for example, activists shouted at Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.
“Zionism is terrorism. All you guys are terrorists committing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza and Palestine. Shame on you, Zionist animals,” they shouted.
BREAKING: PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTORS CONFRONT “ISRAELI” AMBASSADOR DANNY DANON AT THE UNITED NATIONS
1/5 pic.twitter.com/4G1VYEMGzV
— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) September 14, 2025
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), warned on its website that the scale and tone of the planned demonstrations risk crossing the line from political protest into hate speech, arguing that anti-Israel activists are attempting to hijack the UN gathering to spread antisemitism and delegitimize the Jewish state’s right to exist.
Outside the UN last week, masked protesters belonging to the activist group INDECLINE kicked a realistic replica of Netanyahu’s decapitated head as though it were a soccer ball.
US activist group plays soccer with Bibi’s mock decapitated HEAD right outside NYC UN HQ
Peep shot at 00:40
Footage posted by INDECLINE collective just as UN General Assembly about to kick off
‘Following the game, ball was donated to Palestinian Genocide Museum’ pic.twitter.com/TQ84sgZhKr
— RT (@RT_com) September 9, 2025
Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a radical anti-Israel activist group, has vowed to “flood” the UNGA on behalf of the pro-Palestine movement.
WOL, one of the most prolific anti-Israel activist groups, came under immense fire after it organized a protest against an exhibition to honor the victims of the Oct. 7 massacre at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel. During the event, the group chanted “resistance is justified when people are occupied!” and “Israel, go to hell!”
“We will be there to confront them with the truth: Their silence and inaction enable genocide. The world cannot continue as if Gaza does not exist,” WOL said of its planned demonstrations in New York. “This is the time to make our voices impossible to ignore. Come to New York by any means necessary, to stand, to march, to demand the UN act and end the siege.”
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), two other anti-Israel organizations that have helped organize widespread demonstrations against the Jewish state during the war in Gaza, also announced they are planning a march from Times Square to the UN headquarters on Friday.
“The time is now for each and every UN member state to uphold their duty under international law: sanction Israel and end the genocide,” the groups said in a statement.
JVP, an organization that purports to fight for “Palestinian liberation,” has positioned itself as a staunch adversary of the Jewish state. The group argued in a 2021 booklet that Jews should not write Hebrew liturgy because hearing the language would be “deeply traumatizing” to Palestinians. JVP has repeatedly defended the Oct. 7 massacre of roughly 1,200 people in southern Israel by Hamas as a justified “resistance.” Chapters of the organization have urged other self-described “progressives” to throw their support behind Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel
Similarly, PYM, another radical anti-Israel group, has repeatedly defended terrorism and violence against the Jewish state. PYM has organized many anti-Israel protests in the two years following the Oct. 7 attacks in the Jewish state. Recently, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) called for a federal investigation into the organization after Aisha Nizar, one of the group’s leaders, urged supporters to sabotage the US supply chain for the F-35 fighter jet, one of the most advanced US military assets and a critical component of Israel’s defense.
The UN General Assembly has historically been a flashpoint for heated debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Previous gatherings have seen dueling demonstrations outside the Manhattan venue, with pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups both seeking to influence the international spotlight.
While warning about the demonstrations, CAM noted it recently launched a new mobile app, Report It, that allows users worldwide to quickly and securely report antisemitic incidents in real time.
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Nina Davidson Presses Universities to Back Words With Action as Jewish Students Return to Campus Amid Antisemitism Crisis
Nina Davidson on The Algemeiner’s ‘J100’ podcast. Photo: Screenshot
Philanthropist Nina Davidson, who served on the board of Barnard College, has called on universities to pair tough rhetoric on combatting antisemitism with enforcement as Jewish students returned to campuses for the new academic year.
“Years ago, The Algemeiner had published a list ranking the most antisemitic colleges in the country. And number one was Columbia,” Davidson recalled on a recent episode of The Algemeiner‘s “J100” podcast. “As a board member and as someone who was representing the institution, it really upset me … At the board meeting, I brought it up and I said, ‘What are we going to do about this?’”
Host David Cohen, chief executive officer of The Algemeiner, explained he had revisited Davidson’s remarks while she was being honored for her work at The Algemeiner‘s 8th annual J100 gala, held in October 2021, noting their continued relevance.
“It could have been the same speech in 2025,” he said, underscoring how longstanding concerns about campus antisemitism, while having intensified in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, are not new.
Davidson argued that universities already possess the tools to protect students – codes of conduct, time-place-manner rules, and consequences for threats or targeted harassment – but too often fail to apply them evenly. “Statements are not enough,” she said, arguing that institutions need to enforce their rules and set a precedent that there will be consequences for individuals who refuse to follow them.
She also said that stakeholders – alumni, parents, and donors – are reassessing their relationships with schools that, in their view, have not safeguarded Jewish students. While supportive of open debate, Davidson distinguished between protest and intimidation, calling for leadership that protects expression while ensuring campus safety.
The episode surveyed specific pressure points that administrators will face this fall: repeat anti-Israel encampments, disruptions of Jewish programming, and the challenge of distinguishing political speech from conduct that violates university rules. “Unless schools draw those lines now,” Davidson warned, “they’ll be scrambling once the next crisis hits.”
Cohen closed by framing the discussion as a test of institutional credibility, asking whether universities will “turn policy into protection” in real time. Davidson agreed, pointing to students who “need to know the rules aren’t just on paper.”
The full conversation is available on The Algemeiner’s “J100” podcast.